January Blues? Get Some Garden Therapy!

During the month when we are all seeking out ways in which to enhance our healthy living credentials we bring you findings that prove that gardening can officially change the way you feel – in a good way!

Research undertaken by Thrive, the official society for Horticultural Therapy shows that spending time in the garden can deliver a host of health related benefits:

• 1 in 5 report that gardening has helped them through a period of mental or physical ill-health
  
• physical activity has been proven to be helpful in the treatment of anxiety, depression and dementia
  
• In a study by Mind, the mental health charity, 90% said that the combination of nature and exercise had the greatest effect on their well-being and 94% felt that being involved in gardening related activities lifted depression

Overall the research has shown that being in the outdoor garden environment can help us get back on top of things and make us feel happier, more confident and healthier! And no prohibitively expensive gym membership required!

New Year, New Garden?

If ever there was a time to rethink your outdoor living space it is the month of January!

Hopefully you have entered 2011 bolstered by the endemic bout of positive thinking designed to help us all take action to improve our quality of life! This burst of motivation could be just what is needed to take your garden to task and make those longed for improvements in your outside living accommodation.
Now is also the perfect time to start planning if you want your garden to be ship shape for spring – when (hopefully) we can finally start to enjoy some drier, warmer weather. Kick starting the process to getting to grips with your garden in January will save you having to join the queues later in the season. So when those around you are struggling to find a designer / landscaper with time to take on the job, you can sit back and enjoy your stylish newly transformed outdoor space.
Why not speak to a member of the Lime Orchard design team to get a fresh new perspective on how to get the very best out of your outside room? Visit www.limeorchard.co.uk for more inspiration