RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2022: Gardening as a community helps improve mental health

THE Hampton Court Palace grounds turn into a gardeners' delight early July every year. The garden festival is attended by celebrity gardeners along with the general public of all ages. It is an amalgamation of old and young, professional and amateur gardeners all gathered to enjoy what the festival has to offer.

This year, what caught my eye were the allotments. They all featured some sort of upcycling and reusing of materials found locally. For example, a wooden pallet was made into a bench and some wood from old sheds were formed into a beautiful partition between plants and flowers. It showed that using reclaimed materials can help to keep costs down and also help the environment, while being useful all at the same time.

Looking after the soil while gardening is also a key aspect. (Picture credit: Royal Horticulture Society)

The allotments highlighted the fact that gardening as a community helps promote well-being and improves mental health as well as producing fruits and vegetables that can be enjoyed by the community.

Thoughtfully planting plants was another feature that was showcased by many of the allotments. For example, growing vegetables and fruits vertically as well as horizontally to make the most of the space available in a small allotment or garden.

A garden with colourful flowers can be a big inspiration for gardeners. (Picture credit: Royal Horticulture Society)

The Royal Horticultural Society has been promoting gardening the planet-friendly way. Trying to help gardeners impact the environment in positive ways by controlling water usage, using peat free fertilisers and also planting plants to help pollinators who have lost so much of their native habitats.

Gardeners can also help by planting more trees where possible and by making their own compost from their garden and kitchen waste. Most of this is quite easily done and you would be doing your bit for a healthier planet.