The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature

The garden is often seen as a refuge, a place to forget worldly cares, removed from the “real” life that lies outside. But when we get our hands in the earth we connect with the cycle of life in nature through which destruction and decay are followed by regrowth and renewal. Gardening is one of the quintessential nurturing activities and yet we understand so little about it. The Well-Gardened Mind provides a new perspective on the power of gardening to change people’s lives. Here, Sue Stuart-Smith investigates the many ways in which mind and garden can interact and explores how the process of tending a plot can be a way of sustaining an innermost self, weaving thoughtful yet powerful examples to argue that gardening is much more important to our cognition and mental health than we think. Essential and pragmatic, this book is for gardeners, as well as  people seeking healthier mental lives.