HEALTH THROUGH GARDENING.

Pruning hedges, trimming shrubs, sowing seeds, planting vegetables, picking fruits: gardening activities are often appreciated for their playful nature. By combining outdoor physical activity, mental well-being, creativity, and connection with nature, gardening evidently has positive effects on all aspects of health. But can this be scientifically measured?

Plants are “autotrophic” organisms, meaning they can create their own organic substances from the minerals in the soil. They are also the essential basis of life for all “heterotrophic” organisms, which are unable to synthesize their own components, forcing them to feed on autotrophic organisms. Humans, as heterotrophs, would be unable to survive without plants.

Moreover, over millions of years, the role of plants in human survival, evolution, and development has been fundamental [1]. The first crops date back to the Paleolithic era, and plant domestication and agriculture to the Neolithic era [2], leading to the birth of cities and various civilizations. Gardening has since emerged as a major factor in our adaptation as an animal species, with learning processes and interactions with natural environments leading us towards greater humanity.

Studies have even shown that we are naturally programmed to be attracted to plants and nature [3]. Unfortunately, rapid modern urbanization has created…