As spring arrives with its dazzling daffodils and emerging tulips, three new books focus on how gardening can boost happiness and mental wellbeing, regardless of available space.
TikTok creator @inthecottagegarden offers a project-led guide with 52 activities, one for each week of the year. Projects range from growing chamomile from a teabag to creating a healing windowsill garden. Chapman writes that gardening has “taken an anxious little caterpillar and turned her into a thriving butterfly”.
Firefighter and garden enthusiast Jonny Hincks, known online as @gardenwithjonny, provides light-hearted, no-fuss advice. His philosophy is to keep it simple, fun and stress-free, showing how small, consistent efforts lead to big wins. He encourages readers to learn from mistakes and take Instagram perfection with a pinch of salt.
Horticulturist Zia Allaway explores the science behind plants that make us happy, explaining how flowers focus the mind and scents stimulate happy memories. She highlights plants like Japanese maple for autumn colour, lamb's ears for tactile foliage, and fragrant plants like jasmine and lavender for relaxation. Water features and houseplants are also covered, as research shows they boost mental wellbeing.
