Nurturing meaningful connections and community cohesion

Danny Clarke – aka The Black Gardener – is a director of not-for-profit Grow to Know and a National Garden Scheme Ambassador. A champion of community gardens, Danny shares his thoughts on the importance of gardening not just for individual health and wellbeing but for community cohesion.

Gardening is such a joy. Because it has huge mental and physical benefits that shouldn’t be underestimated. My association as a director with not-for-profit entity called Grow To Know has enabled me to engage with communities and extol the virtues of getting our hands in the soil while working with the land.

Why join a gym or yoga studio when you get the same benefits plus more from working on an outside space. Activities such as digging, planting and watering will improve strength, flexibility and cardiovascular health.

All these developments to our body will be occurring without us noticing the physical effort that’s being put into each task.

There’s no doubt, working in nature has a calming effect. Being surrounded by plants, while being aware of their beautiful colours as they move in a gentle breeze or listening to the birds tweeting, helps slow the mind and promote relaxation. And because gardening requires us to be present it can encourage mindfulness by dispelling negative thought patterns.

Being lonely and isolated is one of the worst feelings in the world. Although being full of people, cities such as London can make us just that. Participating in an allotment or community garden can give meaningful social connections. I have noticed how these spaces can bring people of all generations, cultures and backgrounds together, to happily share knowledge and traditions.

Seeing plants grow and develop is so satisfying and can be very thrilling because it fosters a sense of purpose and accomplishment. The personal effort of nurturing can give us confidence which in turn boosts our self – esteem. Involvement in a community project will also strengthen our ties with the local area and make us feel part of it.

The more plants we install in urban situations the better. Besides being fabulous eye candy, they absorb pollutants and make for a healthier environment. Greenery lowers temperatures in built up areas, making those communities more tolerable to live in.

Even if gardening isn’t for you, nature is still there to be enjoyed by all. Just communing with it by walking or sitting within these spaces will give us enormous mental and physical benefits. I for one am happy just to sit and be still on a garden or park bench while absorbing the natural sights, sounds and smells that are happening all around me. It’s a great stress buster and I would recommend this as a wonderful way to start and end your working day.