Reasons to love gardening for your mental health

It is so easy to view gardening as a chore or another thing to tick off the to-do list. In this article I'm sharing some of the reasons why gardening is so good for your mental health and position it as the way to lower your stress levels, release some of the pressure you are under and avoid burnout. 

1. Gardening lowers your stress levels

The reason gardening and horticultural therapy specifically is so good for lowering your stress levels is because it helps you complete the stress cycle.

Every day stressful things happen and most of us shove them deep down inside, carry on with our day and try and forget about them. But no matter how much you try, that stress sits festering inside of you and raises your stress levels. 

Getting out in your garden, and practicing some horticultural therapy exercises even for 20 minutes can help complete the stress cycle and get the day’s stresses out of your system.

2. Helps quiet your mind

Whether you have a neurodivergent brain like me or you are just juggling a lot, it can feel like you’re drowning in the noise.

Daily time in your garden helps you to turn the dial down on the noise in your head and give you some much needed peace and quiet.

The repetitive actions of gardening help you to quickly get into the flow state where your brain can find some silence.

3. You create a beautiful space that holds you

As women we are under so much pressure juggling all the things. We’re often caring for kids or elderly parents, working to pay the bills, trying to cook and eat nutritious food, get your 2L of water in each day, move your body to get strong AND carve out just a little bit of time for you every day.

It’s exhausting and it’s time to create a space that holds you so you don’t have to hold it all alone anymore.

Your garden gets to be your sanctuary.

And the best bit is that because it’s right on your doorstep you don’t need to book into a yoga class or a therapy session to feel held, you can access it whenever you need to.

4. Helps you grow your self worth

Whether you’ve been knocked by redundancy, the constant judgement from others in motherhood, divorce or separation, workplace bullying or just life, your self worth takes a battering.

Growing beautiful flowers to bring you joy and delicious food to feed yourself and your family will help you improve your self worth, self confidence and begin to trust in yourself and your abilities again.

If you are ending the day feeling tired but wired, like nothing is going right and with a head that feels like it's about to explode, first know that you are not alone and secondly know that horticultural therapy can help you.

The way to think about your garden is not another thing to beat yourself up over because you haven't ‘sorted it out’ but that it gets to be your therapy space, a place where you can finally exhale and let all of the stresses of the day out into the soil.

Kendall Marie Platt is a Horticultural therapist & space holder for garden curious women. She is the founder of Adventures with Flowers and supports women to get gardening as the antidote to burnout as they create garden sanctuaries that hold them. Kendall brings together horticultural therapy and sensory-led garden design to create spaces that don’t just look beautiful, they restore you daily. It’s beauty that heals, rhythm that restores and design that supports your body and mind.  She does this through her 1:1 horticultural therapy support programme and her membership, the Seed. She also hosts regular garden-along sessions to help attendees quiet their minds in their garden.

Kendall is a writer, speaker and facilitator who has spoken at events and for organisations on the topic of using horticultural therapy to reduce stress and avoid burnout as well as hosting hands-on horticultural therapy workshops in corporate and event settings.

Kendall Marie Platt, captured by Terry Joshi

We wanted to get to know Kendall and her work a bit better. This is why we sat down with her for a little interview. Our conversation is now ready for you to read here:

heiter: Can you take us back to the beginning of your gardening journey? What first drew you to working with nature, and how did it evolve into the work you do today?

Kendall: I started gardening because I had a garden that needed doing.  It was during a very stressful time of my life but I didn't view it as something that would help me, I just saw it as another thing on the to-do list.  But once I started gardening, I realised it was the first time in my life that my brain had been quiet. The noise had been turned down on my inner (often very negative) narrative.  It was heaven.

I knew there must be other women out there who felt the same as I did and that gardening could help them, so I started running workshops and then eventually added 1:1 horticultural therapy work and an online membership.

heiter: Your work beautifully connects gardening with emotional wellbeing. For someone who might be struggling with their mental health, how can being in the garden support them in a gentle and accessible way?

Kendall: Sometimes it isn't even about doing anything in the garden. Simply sitting with the sun on your face and noticing the growth happening around you can connect you with a sense of hope and joy. We are often so busy that we don’t have the time to stop and notice. Often once we stop, difficult emotions can come up for us and I teach my clients horticultural therapy activities to help them process those emotions so that they can move forward.

heiter: For those who feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or unsure where to begin, what’s a simple first step they can take to start gardening without it feeling like another thing on their to-do list?

Kendall: Create yourself some gorgeous pots to sit either side of your front door. They will raise your mood and boost your energy every time you come in or out of the front door. Starting with one small project first and showing yourself that you can do this gardening thing will give you a big dopamine hit and allow you to grow your confidence. Be really present while you’re gardening and soon your brain will come to view gardening as an enjoyable pastime rather than a chore.

heiter: At heiter, we often talk about finding small moments of joy in everyday life. What does a mindful moment in your garden look like for you, and how can others begin to create that for themselves?

Kendall: I love checking my seedlings. Really being present and engaging my sense of sight as I look for those little green shoots. Buy yourself some pots, compost and a packet of seeds, cosmos are a really pretty, easy to grow flower, and sow some seeds for yourself. Engage your senses as you check in on them daily while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil. Plunge your finger into the soil to see if they need water (if it feels wet they don’t, if it feels dry they do) and very quickly you will start to see the seedlings emerging.

heiter: For readers who feel drawn to your approach, how can they work with you, and what kind of transformation or feeling do you hope they walk away with?

I work with people online offering both 1:1 horticultural therapy support and group support through my horticultural therapy membership.  After we’ve finished working together they will have a garden sanctuary that holds them through life's ups and downs so that they don’t have to hold it all alone.  They’ll feel calmer, more confident, and have more energy because they’ll be taking 20 minutes in the garden for themselves every day.

Finding "Heiterkeit" in everyday life: a conversation with Sabine from Sagitta

This week is International Women’s Day — a moment to celebrate the creativity, resilience, and contributions of women everywhere. At heiter, celebrating creative women has always been close to our hearts. This month, however, we wanted to place an extra spotlight on the inspiring women who shape thoughtful ideas, meaningful brands, and communities around them.

For this interview, we spoke with Sabine, Creative Director and Co-founder of Sagitta, a natural skincare and probiotics brand rooted in prevention, craftsmanship, and care for people and planet.

In our conversation, Sabine shares insights into her daily routines, the philosophy behind Sagitta, and the small rituals that help her find moments of Heiterkeit in a busy life.

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KG: Hi Sabine, thank you so much for being here and agreeing to tell us a little bit more about yourself, your work — and how you find more “Heiterkeit” in your everyday life. Not only are you the Creative Director and Co-founder of Sagitta, a natural skincare and probiotics brand, you are also a wife, mother of three, and dog mum. What does a typical day look like for you?

S: I like to get up early, around 5am (I go to bed with the kids — by that time I am pooped 😂). First thing in the morning, I cuddle our dog, which sets me up for a great day. Being greeted so happily first thing is just really nice. I make tea, do some stretching and mobility exercises, listen to good music, have a shower, and get to work answering emails and figuring out what the day looks like.

I vacuum every morning and use that noisy time to map out my day in my head. (Visualisation is a powerful thing.) And then the juggle begins :)

KG: You juggle a lot. How do you try to stay calm in the chaos — and find heiter moments?

I am generally not that phased by work things, as there is often some action you can take to improve them. However, someone once said to me, you are only as happy as your unhappiest child, and I totally agree. As long as the kids are happy and healthy, everything feels like it’s running smoothly.

I make a lot of cups of tea… always a heiter moment — sitting down with a cup of tea.

KG: If you had to describe Sagitta to someone who had never heard of the brand, what would you say? Also, what values would you highlight for them?

We believe that prevention is key, but the health system is not set up for prevention at all. We want to educate and share information on how to stay healthy and what tools can support that — whilst keeping our planet healthy and supporting crafts, creativity, and midwifery, because you only have one start in life.

KG: The Sagitta brand and values resonate with me in so many ways, but one of the things I love most is your contemporary aesthetic. Tell us a little bit more about what goes into creating the packaging, working on your imagery, and the Sagitta branding in general.

S: My background is in design, and I was very fortunate to work with amazing people who trained my eye — to see, to notice, and to stay with a craft long enough to make it a little simpler, to work that bit harder on it, and to evaluate more thoughtfully.

A lot of thought and creativity go into great design, and at Sagitta we are willing to put that work in. Time is always the biggest challenge and what you choose to allocate time to. We feel it’s worthwhile to push really hard here and create something completely new and unique.

KG: We just talked about how contemporary your brand feels and all the steps that go into creating that, but Sagitta has actually been around for many years. How did it all start, and at what point did Sagitta turn into the brand we know today?

S: Yes, that was lucky, because our history gives us a lot of opportunities to draw from and bring into the present day.

It was in 2012 when I proposed starting Sagitta again to my dad, and he luckily agreed. That coincided with his retirement — and that’s how it all began.

KG: I love the Sagitta products and have used them regularly for more than six years. My personal favourites are the probiotic deodorant, the prebiotic shampoo, and most recently, the pre-microbiome serum. They have all contributed to how much fresher, healthier, and calmer my body, scalp, and skin feel. What are your top three products and why?

S: It’s hard to pick one… I do occasionally eat the deodorant (for advertising purposes), which makes it such a crazy product. I’m proud of making things that are so healthy yet effective that you could eat them and give them to your children without that twinge of guilt.

The urea serum and Schrubbel are really special too. The handmade Schrubbel is such a lovely object, and the serum works incredibly well, which often comes as a real surprise to customers who have struggled with bad feet for years.

Some of the famous Sagitta products including the probiotic deodorant and prebiotic shampoo Katharina loves

KG: In your work, you talk about and promote healthy habits. If someone is looking to introduce more of them into their daily life, where should they begin?

S: Start super, super small. The easier you make it for yourself to follow through, the more likely you will.

* When you make tea or coffee, also drink a glass of water (habit stacking).

* Drink your morning drink outside to catch some morning light (it will help you sleep better).

* Walk, walk, walk. Could this phone call be a walk? Could I walk to the shop? Could I take the stairs? Walking in nature feels different — and it often starts with wearing comfortable, healthy shoes.

* Prioritise sleep. Get up at the same time every day — it will help you fall asleep at the same time, too.

* Spend time with great people. Ask yourself if they make you feel better or worse. It matters who you give your time to.

KG: Last but not least, what are the things that make you feel the most heiter?

S: Definitely my family. They equally drive me absolutely mad at times, but teenagers are also hilarious and great fun. They make me a better person every day. In the end, it’s all for them.

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