Blue Monday is here again, supposedly the most depressing day of the year thanks to a gloomy combination of bad weather, long nights and a reaction to all that festive partying last month. But there’s light at the end of the tunnel. The days are getting longer, spring is just around the corner, and we’ve put together our top 6 mood-boosting gardening tips to make you feel better.
Top 6 mood-boosting gardening tips to skip Blue Monday
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It is a fact that digging makes you feel good. Working with the soil releases a form of soil bacteria called Mycobacterium vaccae that boosts serotonin – the ‘happy hormone’ that helps regulate your mood, promoting satisfaction, happiness and optimism. So grab your trowel, get out there and get in touch with your soil. You will feel invigorated.
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Studies have shown that being around nature improves our mood and our creativity levels. A study by the University of Exeter, at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2013, got visitors to spend time in different workspace environments and then test their creativity, happiness and productivity levels. Results showed that letting people make design decisions in spaces that contain plenty of plants can increase creativity by 45%, feelings of well-being by up to 47% and productivity by 38%. So if you are at your desk feeling blue, simply placing a few beautiful indoor plants around your room could make all the difference to your working day. Visit Edwins, Woking for an extensive range of indoor plants, with dedicated staff members keeping them healthy and there to answer your questions.
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Few things are more cheering in winter than the sight of new spring bulbs poking their green tips up through the earth. If you did not have the time to plant spring bulbs last autumn, you could still enjoy the results. Buy potted spring bulbs. Once you have enjoyed the flowers, plant the bulbs out in your garden to enjoy them all over again next year. Alternatively, add colour and cheer to your containers and borders by planting cyclamen, hellebores, primroses and camellia.
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Getting physical with a shovel triggers those mood-enhancing hormones, and you will be rewarded with foliage and flowers in the summer. Now is a great time to plant bare-root roses and shrubs. Highly recommended for instant colour, structure and drama to your border or a patio container is Cornus sanguinea 'Winter Beauty" known for its spectacular fiery red-orange stems.
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If the weather is too bleak for gardening outdoors, you can still get in touch with your green fingers indoors. Tidy up the greenhouse, wash out your old pots in some warm soapy water and get everything ready so that this spring will be your best ever. Or buy a house plant to add calm and character to your home.
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On the dark winter evenings, settle into your most comfortable chair and plan your veg plot for the year. Stock up on your seeds and start dreaming of stupendous harvests! Now in stock are seed potatoes, so if new to gardening, why not start with one of the easiest vegetable to grow. Not much space? Then grow in a potato planter sack. Ask in store for all you need for a successful crop.
Spring is around the corner. Edwins has everything you need to get your garden into shape.
