In recent years, mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety have become an increasing concern. Researchers have been exploring cost-effective and scalable methods to prevent and manage these disorders. Gardening has gained attention for its potential benefits, but limited research has been done on its mental health benefits.

In a cross-sectional study published in Journal of Environmental Psychology, researchers investigated the associations between time spent gardening and indicators of mental well-being.

The study collected survey data from 4,919 middle-aged and older adults (aged 46-80 years) from Brisbane, Australia, of which 57% were women. The participants’ gardening time was divided into three categories:

• no gardening,
• 1 to 149 minutes, and
• 150 or more minutes of gardening per week.

Mental well-being was measured using the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, and life satisfaction was rated using a single question. The researchers investigated whether these associations differed between participants in younger…