Fertile ground for mental health
Celebrity gardener Henry explains why gardening has helped him when he’s been at his lowest and how he raised more than £11,000 for Mind.
The Open Up & Grow 24hour non-stop gardening challenge was one of the most heart warming experiences I’ve had the pleasure of doing on behalf of Mind. As someone who has suffered from depression and high levels of anxiety during the last 3 years, I wanted to give myself a goal, a challenge that would take my mind elsewhere and give me something to look forward to, a target on the horizon that would not only make me not only feel accomplished but would also help others that need support with their mental health.
I found the prospect daunting, but I knew deep down it would be good for me to focus on something during those tough times. I also knew by raising awareness of Mind to my following on social media, it would connect others who are struggling with a charity that has resources and professional help on hand ready to support them.
“Just being in the garden nurtures my mind, body and soul. When I was at my lowest point I turned to the garden.”
Gardening and garden design is my passion. It’s where I can be creative and express myself, Its also therapeutic. Just being in the garden nurtures my mind, body and soul. When I was at my lowest point I turned to the garden. Mindless jobs like weeding, clearing and digging are perfect ways to distract me.
Those small actions, repeated every day, slowly start to bring you back up. When you see progress, and rebuild your confidence. That’s why gardening is such a fantastic self-care hobby, irrespective of whether you have poor mental health or not. I get the same benefits from focusing on my fitness. it’s the action of doing and seeing progress that gives you the reward and incentive to march on.
We are facing a mental health crisis, especially younger generations, so charities such as Mind need the funding to enable them to help all of us who need mental health support.
Raising money for Mind was a no brainer for me, and I’m super happy at what we achieved with the 24-hour non-stop gardening challenge.
“The entire event was live streamed, with guests appearing throughout the day and night. Together we raised more than over £11,600 for Mind.”
The entire event was live streamed on my social channels, with guests appearing throughout the day and night in the garden, and together we raised more than £11,600 for Mind. It was so uplifting to see these extremely generous donations flooding in during the challenge and all of the generous support off the back of the event.
I was definitely not in a good headspace mentally when I did the event, but I do think it was a turning point for me in my road to recovery. Together, we achieved something incredible and it is an experience I’ll never forget. And now we’re hoping to achieve something incredible all over again. This Saturday I’m taking part in another 24-hour gardening marathon, and with a bit of luck, we’ll raise another great sum of money for Mind.
Related Topics
Information and support
When you’re living with a mental health problem, or supporting someone who is, having access to the right information - about a condition, treatment options, or practical issues - is vital. Visit our information pages to find out more.
Share your story with others
Blogs and stories can show that people with mental health problems are cared about, understood and listened to. We can use it to challenge the status quo and change attitudes.
