Gardening & Health, the pro's & con's

 It was world mental health day on the 10th October and its been at the forefront of my mind all week, partly because this week the #gdnbloggers will be talking about it on Twitter tonight, along with the other health benefits gardening brings. From personal experience it can be a physically demanding & sometimes mentally challenging line of work and thats what I chose to blog about this week as a slight departure from my usual ....

Ryton Organic Gardens

There a great movement at the moment championing Gardening as the career choice for improvement in your mental health and physical wellbeing and it is!

There's a great deal of evidence that a life lived more in tune with nature helps us balance the tough trials of modern life. More natural daylight can help bodyclocks knocked out of synch by our brightly lit environments. A day spent digging the earth allows our minds to wander freely and tires the body in a way that sitting behind a desk never will, thus giving the insomniac a greater chance of sleeping the night through.

Even just being in contact with the earth can apparently give us a feelgood factor as we absorb bacteria which not only aids our bodies immune system but also triggers a natural high, not even counting all those lovely endorphins we release when barrowing a ton of muck over the borders.

They said id go up in the world.... they didnt say how...

A lot of people now spend time volunteering in Gardens across the country (which is a two edged sword in its own right and not for this blog post... Maybe later!)  Giving up a few hours to a day of their time, spending it in a beautiful environment, working on the land. Allotmenteering is having its biggest rise in popularity since the second world wars "Dig for Victory" campaign. All in the name of healthy body, healthy mind. Teaching children in this increasingly technological world how nature works, where their food comes from etc. All of these things are amazing, great & wonderful and what I'm about to say should not detract from my thoughts and feeling on them whatsoever but...

If you're thinking of changing your career based just on this and think the world of Horticulture is full of fluffy bunny's and pink clouds of happiness, don't!

It, like any other job, is bloody hard work!

Some days you WILL come home so cold you cant feel your fingers and when you sit in a hot bath it will be cold in two minutes because you've chilled it.

Some days you WILL come home with sunstroke, dehydrated because no matter how many precautions you take, hat, sunscreen, lots of fluid, the meadow needed strimming and you HAD to finish it.

Some days you WILL come home barely able to bend because that border needed digging, the compost needed shifting or the hedge cutting needed to be finished.

Some days you WILL be so lonely you could cry because you haven't spoken to anyone all week, never mind seen anyone.

Some days, you WILL come home covered in scratches from rose thorns, nettle rash or another uncomfortable, painful experience because Gardening as a career is physically hard and often a lonely experience.


If you've done 1 day a week volunteering and you think this might be the choice for you, great! Do a month, 5 days a week. Ask to be treated like a member of staff, get the full, true experience. I saved all my choice jobs for my volunteers as a treat, ok I would also ask them to do the boring mundane tasks too but not as often or for as long as the staff had to do them. As volunteers if they don't enjoy their experience are unlikely to come back and when you rely heavily on volunteer help you will do everything you can to keep them.

In a work situation you are subject to the same pressures as in any other line of work. Management STILL want to see results, there are STILL deadlines to be met and as you climb further up the ladder more meetings, more reports & paperwork and less time doing the thing that drew you to working in Horticulture in the first place, the great outdoors.


I've known Head Gardeners who have been practically crippled by years of physically hard work, arthritis, worn joints, bad backs etc. Who almost never see the gardens they work in due to the amount of office work and planning entailed in running a garden, staff & volunteers. Equally I've known people who have migrated from the volunteer work force who haven't coped or realised what was expected of them when they became full time gardeners. Maybe that's the fault of the employers? Maybe they could have supported them more? eased them into it? Maybe it was a naive expectation on the part of the applicant? Maybe its both their faults, employers offering low wages will not get experienced staff and instead will get applicants lacking in experience applying for jobs that expect too much of them... This again is a whole other issue of some of the things wrong with the Horticulture industry regarding skills, experience and a fair wage... Moving on!


I've been lucky, I've worked for companies that really cared about their staff, created a culture of support and I've developed lifelong friendships with the people I've worked with. I've also experience the total opposite, horrible working environments where staff bullied each other, supported by the management, in fact in one or two cases encouraged and applauded by the management who saw it as a means of "weeding out" the weak links rather than finding a persons strengths or worse still they realise a person doesnt fit in with their plans and try to force them out.

What I'm saying here is that yes there are wonderful places to work in Horticulture, places where you can grow, learn and yes even feel loved but don't they exist in every chosen career? Just because Gardening as hobby can give you a lot of health benefits that doesn't always equate when its a career choice. Its the people you work with that can make or break a job and you're just as likely to walk unwittingly into a lions den of sniping and backbiting in Horticulture as you are in an office based job, the only difference is that your surroundings are prettier.

Please don't read me wrong here, I love my job, I wouldn't change it for the world but I very nearly did! Less than 12 months ago I was so miserable and my confidence in my own abilities had been worn down SO much I nearly quit to go and stack shelves. I figured id get paid more and was less likely to have someone screaming 2 inches off my face in Tesco's (or any other Supermarket of your choice). My mental health was taking a nose dive purely because of my working environment. The pretty surroundings and my joy at being in them was not helping the fact that my EVERY move was being criticised.

Luckily I had a wonderful support network of friends and gardeners who knew me well and knew what I was capable of, I left the job that was crushing my soul and within two weeks had rediscovered my joie de vivre! Best move EVER!

Gardening is wonderful, nothing beats seeing a Garden first thing as the sun comes up on a dewy morning or as the frost melts, seed heads on Phlomis becoming snow covered lollipops, an Orchard in spring literally buzzing and festooned with flowers.

Words cant convey my joy at these things but it doesn't fix everything! Its the people and the working environment that can make or break a situation.

 I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes I get worried that Horticulture in the media is all unicorns and rainbow and the hard work and sometimes extreme conditions get glossed over. Hort as a profession suffer exactly the same pitfalls as every other job. Go into it with your eyes wide open & hopefully you will have a long, successful and rewarding career and you'll get to see things like this everyday!

Sunrise in midwinter

Sunrise in midsummer

Hidcote Gardens - Rooms with views

Mid September, a time when the garden is starting to wind down and the garden visits for the year are slowing. I couldn't resist saying yes to the All Horts gathering at Hidcote though. It's a garden I've loved for many years. The last time I visited was shortly before I left Garden Organic and moved south, at that time we were lucky enough to go on a staff visit and get a tour from the, then Head Gardener Glyn Jones. Glyn has now left to make a mark on the historic gardens at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Stratford-Upon-Avon.

My last visit was roughly 10 years ago, give or take, Hidcote had been a regular on my list of local gardens, one that I had taken Mum & Dad to visit. Sadly I don't think I have any pictures from back then but in my head the gardens were always sun baked and peaceful, my favourite border was always the famous red border, so even though I set out early in the morning in rainy gloom I was feeling optimistic for the forecast.

Lawrence Johnston was the originator of Hidcote, starting in 1907, his mother bought the manor house and he set about turning the surrounding fields into what is now an iconic garden in the Arts & Crafts style. The theme of the "Garden room" is not as new as the glossy magazines would have you believe, Plantsmen of the early 1900's had already started this trend of areas enclosed and themed with exits and entrances leading to wonderful vistas over surrounding countryside.

His influencers, such as Gertrude Jeykell & Alfred Parsons are now bywords for excellence in design. His peers and contemporaries were people such as Norah Lindsay & Vita Sackville West, known for her creation of Sissinghurst. Lawrence Johnston was a quiet man by all accounts far more at home creating his gardens than the life of a 1920's socialite, maybe that's why Hidcotes name is the one people remember rather than his? In the world of botany though this man was a giant! One of the unsung heroes of plant hunting, he went on plant hunting expeditions to Europe, Asia, Africa, China and South America. Each time bringing home a small gem for his gardens. He was also a great sponsor for other people, making it possible for Frank Kingdon Ward to travel in Burma, one of the people responsible for introducing countless Rhododendron species. W. T. Goethe & Edward Augustus Bowles travelled with him. Highly influential in every way, this quiet man bequeathed Hidcote to the National Trust in 1948 when he retired to his garden in France Serre de la Madone.

Back to present day!
Bearing in mind several points...
I haven't seen the garden in around 10 years
I never saw it this late in the season



The approach to the gardens has changed massively from what I remember, there is now a lovely new build (?) cafe and plant sales area. The signage around this area is pretty good I noticed as I rushed to try and catch up with the others. The entrance completely threw me out! Same gateway but now you enter through the entrance of the house itself, which is quite nice. I say this is a new thing but in reality I don't actually remember exactly how it used to be? I think it was through what is now a gift shop, anyway!

The first sight as you enter the garden is of a cute little parterre with an excellent choice as an alternative to box hedging, Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald Gaiety' planted up with summer bedding of Salvias and what I think are Bidens (I could be wrong on this, I was in a hurry) Rocky and I were almost an hour late, traffic, so we scurried to catch the end of the tour being kindly led by Sarah Davis the Assistant Head Gardener. Flying past the enormous Cedar of Lebanon I remembered the last tour I had been on before being surrounded by a fantastic scent of cherry pie! An entire bed of Heliotrope that even on this overcast day was able to envelope you with its mouth watering scent. I caught sight of our group, in the distance, and tried to negotiate the straightest path to them. This as it turned out included naughtily leaping some of the Trusts iron hurdles to gain access to the sacred Red Border where our group of intrepid gardeners were being treated to a private viewing! Quick introductions were made to those members I hadn't met before, hugs for those I had, a few pictures and then on to the plant house.

Talking mainly about the history and much needed restoration of the relatively recent addition (restoration?) of the wooden conservatory called the plant house. Sarah explained how only 10 or so years old it is already needing a lot of work to its wooden supports to keep it in good repair and the decision on how to fund this work is very much in the forefront of everyone's minds. Its such an important aspect to the garden not only in its history but also as a place to house and show some really gorgeous plants in their collection.

From there we moved to the long borders, an area I'm sure had only been recently planted up when I last visited, I wish I had managed to arrive on time. I could've asked more questions! They were just at the point of going from summer splendour into autumnal tumble. Still verdant with jewels of Asters shining through, just a hint of winter structure from the seed heads and exclamation points provided by the carefully manicured hedges.

We moved through to the Kitchen Gardens which had changed beyond all recognition for me, my last visit this area wasn't open to the public. It was an area like most gardens have, a graveyard of old pots, scruffy plants and dead machinery. Now fully in use as a Kitchen garden with a late crop of runner beans handily planted to the side of the path a quick taste test ensued.... they were lovely!

At this point our lovely guide took her leave and we headed for the cafe. I wont bore you with the details of what I ate but it was lots and it was lovely. We chatted and caught up with one another then headed over to Kiftsgate, this is where it gets funny...

We posed for our usual "All Horts" picture, as ever ably taken by Gerald, by the gates. We even looked at the signs with opening times and admission prices before ambling through the gates and up the long driveway. We perused the plant sales area and enthused over the Salvias when a deep baying ensued.

Release the hounds!

Hush puppy!

Introducing the resident Basset hound!

Somehow each and every one of us had failed to notice the massive signs at the entrance saying CLOSED ...oops!

Rocky singing the rusty gate song... F sharp?

So having failed in our mission we beat a hasty retreat back to the cafe at Hidcote to renew ourselves, chat a bit more, then myself and a few intrepid others went back to revisit areas of the garden we had missed on our whistle stop tour.

On reflection, the elements that make Hidcote, Hidcote are all there, no matter the season. The thought that was put into its vistas, the quiet areas, even the wonderful paving that changes throughout the garden to reflect the theme. Hidcote is undergoing some major renovations, replanting, but the ethos that Lawrence Johnston built the garden to is evident at every turn. 

"Plant only the best forms of any plant"

Peru or bust for Marie Curie and for Mum

Forgive the departure from my usual plant based blogs and please take a moment to read my story of how im raising money for an amazing charity, Marie Curie, and why....

Last training walk at Stokenchurch Gap, southside (about 6 Miles)

This idea started in August 2010, my Mum and I sat on her bed making plans for the future. A future that sadly didnt happen, you see Mum had Ovarian Cancer, she had first started showing signs of it in August of 2008, saying she felt bloated, had stomach ache. She never really complained it just wasn't her style so we encouraged her to go to the docs.

Family holiday in 2008, Mum & Dad

She was at first told it was "her age" 67 at the time. Then crohn's disease, she was given a diagnosis of Diverticular just before I left Garden Organic. I remember buying her 2 books on the subject which recommended diets etc. that would be helpful, thinking id post them when i got back off holiday. I never did, ive still got them.
Anyway, I started my new job, incredibly self involved & focused on what I was doing, as we all get sometimes, I hadnt realised mums normal pattern of phonecalls and texts had ceased. Until one morning my Dad called me. Mum had been rushed into hospital and they were operating on her. He didnt know if she would get through it. Her weight had dropped from around 10 stone at xmas to just 5 1/2, it was May 2009.
She got through it, by the time I arrived in Durham she was awake and we could see her. The sight of all those tubes and banks of monitors is one that i'll never forget, seeing this strong, bubbly lady a tiny shell of herself in that bed.

Mum and me messing about Xmas 2009

Anyway, she fought every step of the way, got through chemo, adjusted to a new way of life and we celebrated xmas 2009 together. She wasnt losing but she wasnt winning either and in July of 2010 she started a second round of Chemo. I couldn't (and if im honest still can't) believe she wouldn't win. She would always say "Theres no such word as can't" she would push me to follow my dreams, to never limit myself. I just couldn't prepare myself for her not being able to win this battle.

She was one of the reasons i became a gardener, she instilled my love of horticulture, of plants. She taught me so much, i used the Latin names before the common names because thats what i was taught from an early age. She gave us our own patch in the garden where we grew veg and raised plants from seed. She was a flower arranger, she won competitions just as a hobby, she was SO much more than just my Mum though.
She raised money for charity, volunteered at a hospice, formed a splinter group of the W.I. She had a huge social circle who she kept in contact with and who loved her dearly. She was the person in our family who made sure that spread out as we were we never lost contact. She worked at Warden Hill Junior School in Luton for as many years as i can remember till she retired, she remembered almost every child she came into contact with during that time, their mums, who they were friends with and not. She loved people and it shone through in everything she did.
She was an amazing Mum to have and for that I will always be grateful and for the people who made it possible for us to have her at home in those last few weeks its time for me to say thank you in the best way I possibly can. By raising the cash to make it possible for other families to have that same luxury.

This is how it all came about at the end of August 2010, mum loved travelling, a late starter her first trip abroad was to Australia. She had climbed glaciers, sailed up fjords, sat in the sun drinking Madera wine and been up volcanoes. In 10 years she went to more places than most people see in a lifetime! We sat there making plans on where we would go when she was better. One that we both kept coming back to as we both had a love of ancient ruins was Machu picchu, she knew how ill she was but she also knew i hadn't accepted it at this point so she humoured me. She made me promise to go and send her back all the photo's, to tell her all about it. I tried to persuade her that we would do it together, that she would be well enough to do the trek, even if she wasnt that there were other ways it could be done.
Anyway, the promise was made. Less than 2 weeks later she was gone.

6 years passed, I often thought of the promise id made but as life often goes the time never seemed right. In between I visited Nepal, my first trip abroad. Then Barcelona, then Rhodes.

Swayambu, Kathmandu, Nepal 2011

Parc Guell, Barcelona, 2012

Lindos Acropolis, Rhodes, 2013

Then things changed in my life and i didnt go anywhere for a while, until the week of my birthday in 2015. I was scrolling Facebook and there was an advert for Marie Curie. Trek to Machu Picchu and raise money for them. Honestly it felt like a sign, so i checked it out, i had some savings, enough to pay for the registration and other costs involved and in one of my amazing leap before I look moments id commited myself to raising £3750.00 on behalf of Marie Curie. I figured, how hard could it be?
I had no idea!
Cue a small montage....

 My first attempt was giving a tour of my work place at the time with the kind help of Quentin Stark, the Head Gardener of Hole park, to the All Horts group. A suggested donation of a fiver to include Tea/Coffee & homemade (by my fair hands) cakes went down a treat and i was honoured that so many made the trek down to deepest darkest Kent. Most people actually donated more than a fiver (some, mentioning no names, forgot totally... ahem) which was amazing!

Then i bludgeoned my workmates repeatedly by selling them slices of homemade cake.... at a £1.00 for a large slice of "Death by Chocolate" they did willingly hand over cash though, very generous and appreciated!

I have some amazingly generous friends too who have supported me so much emotionally and practically on this venture. One couple in particular have auctioned concert tickets, baked and sold cakes and helped me enormously in fundraising and fully deserve their names in print and thats Nicole & Adam, you guys are awesome! Also Jo, Pete, Chris, jim for repeated donations and being a cheerleader squad, andy & nat for finding some amazing walks and so many people who have helped by donating massive amounts and helped get the word out by either retweeting or sharing posts on Facebook etc, Thank you all!

In March i also recevied permits and official gear to go and shake my money maker on the street legally, so i grabbed the chance to dress as a daffodil and did so repeatedly!

Tring bothering on a cold day, Thank you people of Tring!

Mugging the All Horts for donations! Thank you guys, much love!

I also started training myself up, i consider myself to be reasonably fit but i decided to actually push myself further, starting with how many cigarettes i smoke. The ultimate aim is to give up completely but i have managed to drop from over 20 a day to at worst around 10 a day, most days about 6 or 7 and a few notably awesome days 5 or under. For someone who has smoked for 28 years im kinda happy with that. Of course im still trying to stop completely, and i will, but im not beating myself up about not being there yet!
I also started walking some more challenging walks, the steps at Cliveden NT providing one of my challenges (twice!) and also some fun stuff....

Fun in the woods! I found a bear....

Cliveden NT, view from the terrace

Cliveden's stairs from the bottom

Cliveden's stairs from the top

Posing with the foxes in Regents park

View from the top of Primrose Hill

View from the top of Primrose Hill

Dancing for 10 Hrs straight is a kind of training... Right?

1/2 way through the walk at Sherborne pond by Silent pool of Agatha Christie fame

The tranquil Sherborne Pond

View from the vineyard at the bottom of the Surrey Hills

View from the top of the surrey hills

Not to mention all the miles walked around gardens, along canals etc. or lengths swum in swimming pools!

The fundraising though...

At this point what seemed like an impossible task, which i was beginning to doubt i could achieve, suddenly became much more doable as the total jumped from here....

to here....

AMAZING!!!

Now with just 4 days to go till i set off the total is.....

You did this! All you wonderful people who gave whatever you could afford, you have made it possible for a family stay together at one of the hardest moments they will ever face. Thank you!
Now just £308.00 short of the final target im going to ask once more if you can help. Please if you havent already, please even if its just a pound take a moment to click on this link below
justgiving.com LouNicholls2015
and make a families wish to keep their loved one safe at home come true
or
Via your mobile phone!
Text GRLN99 £5 (or whatever amount you can spare) to 70070

In return i will try my best to make you and mum proud by walking tall along the Inca trail, climbing to over 4000ft, taking pictures all the way. I cant send them to mum anymore or tell her the story of how it went but i can tell you!

I'll leave you with some pics of how i like to remember my mum a wonderful wife, mother & friend. This is who we are doing this for, thank you X