Thursday 10th October was World Mental Health Day, and to help raise awareness of mental health issues all sixteen Squire’s Garden Centres held a ‘Plantathon’, where they planted up beautiful pots for people to buy on the day. Customers came to watch, chat, ask questions and join in.
All proceeds from the event went to Squire’s local charities, many of which were there on the day to support with the planting.
There are strong links between gardening and mental health. Gardening gets you outside in the fresh air, it’s good exercise, and helps you relax – in fact it’s great for mind, body and soul. In a recent survey of nearly 2,000 people by Squire’s, 94% said that gardening is good for mental health and wellbeing. This link has long been recognised by Squire’s, and some of their employees have even had training to help them spot the warning signs of mental health issues, and are now qualified as Mental Health First Aiders.
Sarah Squire, chairman of Squire’s Garden Centres said; “I know I am not alone in finding that spending time outdoors makes me feel more relaxed, improves my mood, and generally makes me a happier person. As we all become more aware of the importance of taking care of our mental as well as our physical health, taking time to enjoy our gardens or local open space is a great home remedy freely available to us all.
“Watching wildlife is a wonderful way to de-stress, relax and unwind so adding some wildlife-friendly plants to your garden to encourage bees and butterflies can boost the effects even further.”
