Share your story
We love hearing about how your gardens and our Thrive advice have helped support your wellbeing. If you would like to share your story, email info@thrive.org.uk
When and why did your interest in gardening begin?
I started gardening in primary school, when I was about 7 years old. But I really got into it when I was a bit older - around 21.
I have always enjoyed growing plants. Seeing them grow brings a smile to my face. I tend to grow plants that are useful - vegetables, fruits, herbs and edible flowers. This has led me to cooking more healthy foods and trying out new recipes, as well as sharing my produce with others.
What sort of garden space do you have at the moment?
I live in a block of flats in White City, London. But I believe that 'every little space can grow'. My garden is my windowsills, which are full of herbs and small veg.
I believe every little space can grow.
Sean
I have also done plenty of gardening in community spaces or helping others. For the last three years, I have been helping to run a local community garden. Before that, I spent eight years growing with the elderly in sheltered housing and using the produce to make weekly soups with them. Before that, I spent five years growing and running a plant nursery in Brentford, Acton and Hounslow.
I treated all these sites as if they were my own personal gardens which I shared with local people.
What do you most enjoy doing in the garden currently and why?
I enjoy connecting with locals and like-minded people. It has been a great way to meet people that I can chat with. I get very lonely and depressed from time to time and getting out to the garden, in the fresh air and to have a coffee, a chat and grow with other people helps a lot.
I do not mind gardening by myself. But it is much more fun gardening with others.
Watching plants grow that I can then use for cooking warms the soul.
Sean
Growing and gardening in general is great. Watching plants grow that I can then use for cooking warms the soul.
I also like that no one day is the same when gardening. Studying, finding out what is wrong with the plants, how to solve the issue and watching them recover is heart warming.
What effect has gardening – or spending time in nature – had on your health & wellbeing?
I am diabetic and suffer from mental health issues. Gardening has helped me control my blood sugar levels as well as lose quite a lot of weight over the years. It has also helped with my mental health by getting out in the fresh air as well as meeting people who understand these issues. It allows me to have a good time while gardening and making the gardens and community gardens look good.
[gardening] has also helped with my mental health by getting out in the fresh air as well as meeting people who understand these issues.
Sean
There is also nothing quite as satisfying than taking a couple of veggies home to cook with for dinner at the end of the day!
Do you feel that gardening / time in nature is something men take part in or talk about a lot or not? What do you think would encourage more men to spend time gardening?
I have found more men getting involved in gardening over the last five to six years. This maybe in part due to being locked up during COVID or maybe due to gardening becoming more talked about on the news and doctors recommending it more now for people's physical and mental health and well being.
But I still come across some men that think it is not a 'manly' thing to do. To overcome this in the past, I have run workshops (building polytunnels, planters, potting tables, sheds etc). Doing these workshops has sometimes brought men into the community garden or work space.
How did you come across Thrive?
I have been following you on social media and I am signed up to the Gardening Club newsletter.
Have you discovered any helpful gardening tips along the way that you could share?
Take lots and lots of cuttings. By doing this, you get lots of free plants! Trade them with other gardeners for plants that you are looking for - for example, geraniums, snapdragon (antirrhinum majus), aster (michaelmas), salvia and many, many more.
Cut off flower heads when the flowers are finished and dry them out. Keep the seeds for next year.
Feed plants like tomatoes, squash, peppers, beans, cucumbers every two weeks from June until mid August. I use seaweed and tomato feed.
What’s your next garden project?
Taking lots and lots of cuttings to share with family and friends is my main one at the moment. I might trade and sell some to save up money for seeds for next year.
Keeping on top of the weeds and watering this time of the year (late spring) is a big project.
Plus, I'll be doing lots of general maintenance like bambooing my runner beans and keeping plants that need a lot of feed well fed.
We love hearing about how your gardens and our Thrive advice have helped support your wellbeing. If you would like to share your story, email info@thrive.org.uk