Gardening: A Simple Tool for Wellness
A recent article in Psychiatric Services by Dr. Margaret (Peggy) Swarbrick and Vincent Digioia highlights gardening as a meaningful wellness practice that supports recovery, purpose, and whole-person well-being. The authors describe gardening not simply as a leisure activity, but as a way to foster physical activity, emotional regulation, social connection, environmental stewardship, and spiritual growth. Gardening offers opportunities for growth that extend far beyond the garden itself. The article aligns gardening with all eight dimensions of wellness, demonstrating how a simple activity can support emotional, physical, social, spiritual, intellectual, occupational, environmental, and financial wellness. Through nurturing plants, individuals develop routines, responsibility, patience, and a sense of accomplishment that can enhance overall wellness. Gardening is a wellness tool that complements traditional treatment approaches by fostering routine, identity, purpose, social connection, and engagement in meaningful daily activities.
Citation:
Swarbrick, M., & Digioia, V. A. (2026). Gardening: A Wellness Tool. Psychiatric Services. https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ps.20260277
.