Gardening

Gardening for well-being

Snackabelle Sweet Pepper: Dobies

Regular gardeners need no convincing that it’s good for the mind and body, but results of recent research mean that in some areas of the UK, a doctor’s visit can result in a prescription to go gardening. ‘Social prescribing’ – the term for non-medical treatments – is being used increasingly by the NHS to tackle conditions such as anxiety, depression, stress and loneliness. Concentrating on a physical task gives the mind a break, while reconnecting with nature helps us relax and destress. And research at the University of Exeter Medical School has shown that the natural environment plays a significant role in reducing the risks of conditions including stroke, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and asthma (university blog www. beyondgreenspace.net). Just two hours a week in nature is the minimum needed to make a difference, and with 24 million gardens in the UK, the solution to poor health can be literally outside our back doors. For anyone without or unable to access their own garden, there’s an increasing number of community gardens and projects where anyone can become involved, as well as gardens for residents and visitors of hospitals and hospices.

Growing some of your own fruit, veg or herbs is doubly beneficial to health as you’ll have some delicious healthy produce too. No space is too small: a tub, window box, hanging basket or ‘living wall’ container can produce an excellent harvest. Do grow what you like - sounds obvious, but so many people grow radishes because they’re easy, and never eat them. If you’ve never grown anything before, start with easy crops from seed like salad leaves, loose-leaf lettuce, bush French beans, Swiss Chard, and watercress (this is dead easy – buy a supermarket bag, root a few stems in water, then plant out). After the frosts, buy ready-grown plants of bush or trailing tomatoes. Don’t forget fresh herbs too – just a few sprigs can transform a dish.

Garden to visit:

The gardens of Hotel Endsleigh aren’t just for guests of the luxury hotel, once the country residence of the Duke of Bedford. Over 100 acres of gardens and grounds are open daily to visitors for a charge of £5 – or free if you treat yourself to lunch or afternoon tea. There are formal lawns and herbaceous borders, drifts of spring bulbs, enchanting dells and grottos to explore; and riverside walks along the Tamar (hotelendsleigh.com/garden). Do make time to visit the adjacent Endsleigh Garden Nurseries which stocks a superb range of plants, housed in the old walled gardens.

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Small-space veg in the Lemon Tree Trust Garden, Chelsea 2018.

New Plants Make the most of your garden, patio, balcony or courtyard to produce delicious compact-growing vegetable varieties, many of which are fantastically colourful too. Dobies have made veg growing super-easy with their Patio Veg Plants Collection, supplied as plugs (young plants) so there’s no worry about growing from seed; the six varieties include sweet pepper, chilli pepper, cucumber, courgette, tomato and aubergine: £9.99 for one of each. www. dobies.co.uk

Seasonal jobs • Get borders in shape before plants really get growing. Cut back dead perennial and grass growth and clear weeds.

• Mulch bare soil between plants with organic matter like garden compost or well-rotted manure. No need to dig it in – nature will do the job for you.

RHS Feel Good Garden Chelsea 2018

• Allow bulb leaves to die back naturally to build up energy for next year and if you can, feed with an organic fertilizer too. Water if the weather is dry.

• Lots of different veg can be sown directly in the soil outside. Mice adore pea and bean seed but sowing with a pinch of chilli pepper can keep them at bay.

Garden problems After a very damp and mostly mild winter, fungal diseases like mildew

and moulds are likely to flourish under cover in greenhouses and polytunnels. Cleaning thoroughly and washing glass inside as well as out will go a long way towards avoiding problems, as well as maximising light levels. www. greengardener.co.uk has a new natural disinfectant containing citronella and coconut oil, as well as garlic candles to fumigate the structure if you had any pest problems last year.

Sue Fisher

Sue Fisher GARDEN DESIGNER & HORTICULTURAL SPECIALIST Inspirational ideas to transform your garden Advisory visits • Planting plans Complete designs

tel: 01822 841895 • email: suefisher@talktalk.net www.suefishergardens.co.uk

Grower, supplier. Layer seeded turf £2 roll. Topsoil/screened soil. Grass cutting VERY large lawns 01822 610998 General lawn turf Grower, supplier & layer Screened blended topsoil Bagged or loose 01822 610998

ENDSLEIGH GARDENS NURSERY Milton Abbot Tavistock PL19 0PG

Tel: 01822 870235 www.endsleighgardens.co.uk Open 8am-5pm Monday-Saturday, 10am-4pm Sunday

IT’S TIME TO...

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