National Allotment Week isn’t just about celebrating the glorious veggies we grow, but the wellbeing that blossoms around them! The year’s theme is wellbeing and it’s a perfect chance to recognise how green spaces benefit both our health and the planet.

Just two hours a week in a garden or green space is linked to better mental and physical wellbeing. People who garden daily report 6.6.% higher wellbeing and 4.2% lower stress compared to non-gardeners. There is no surprise that allotment goers tend to be older, which is great! Allotments offer gentle exercise through digging, weeding, and tending to plants, helping to keep muscles and joints active. 

Typically you find older people in allotment conversations, which is great! They provide a form of exercise from digging, weeding, and keeping muscles and joints active. But the benefits aren’t just physical. An allotment can be so much more than a patch of grass, it’s a hobby that bonds you with others. Whether it’s sharing tips, swapping vegetables or listening to each other; this connection can be great for the mind.

One UK green prescription project found that community gardening raised happiness scores from 5.3 to 7.5 and reduced anxiety from 4.8 to 3.4. 

One of the biggest joys from working hard in the allotment is actually growing your own produce! Straight from the soil to your plate means it’s as fresh as it can be, which often means more vitamins and minerals. Interestingly, allotment holders tend to eat on average 4.5 portions of fruit and veg a day, which is well above the UK average. 

Financial Benefits

In today’s cost of living, growing your own food can actually save money. Seeds can keep producing year after year, and kitchen scraps like leaves, seeds, and ends can be regrown. A surplus of produce can be stored, frozen, or turned into chutneys, jams, and preserves. Not only is this reducing your food waste but it keeps your cupboards well stocked.

Wildlife and Biodiversity

Having an active garden helps support pollinators, birds and insects as they can thrive in these areas. Within this biodiversity is coming back due to additional wildflowers being planted, marshes being made and a general conservation for wildlife. This can be linked back to wellbeing as wildlife watching can be shown to reduce stress and lower heart rate.

Gardening is more than growing plants, it’s nurturing yourself, your health, and your community!