Short description:

Why do so many people love gardening? What does your garden say about you? What is guerrilla gardening?

The Psychology of Gardening delves into the huge benefits that gardening can have on our health and emotional well-being, and how this could impact on the entire public health of a country. It also explores what our gardens can tell us about our personalities, how we can link gardening to mindfulness and restoration, and what motivates someone to become a professional gardener.

With gardening being an ever popular past-time, The Psychology of Gardening provides a fascinating insight our relationships with our gardens.

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Long description:

Why do so many people love gardening? What does your garden say about you? What is guerrilla gardening?

The Psychology of Gardening delves into the huge benefits that gardening can have on our health and emotional well-being, and how this could impact on the entire public health of a country. It also explores what our gardens can tell us about our personalities, how we can link gardening to mindfulness and restoration, and what motivates someone to become a professional gardener.

With gardening being an ever popular pastime, The Psychology of Gardening provides a fascinating insight into our relationships with our gardens.

"Why are so many people passionately involved in the difficult work of gardening? This volume is packed full of information, incorporating interviews with gardeners as well as a wide range of psychological theory and research results. The author builds on topics from time perception and neural processes to cognitive restoration and mental health in order to examine the meaning of gardens and gardening. This book will prompt new ways of thinking about the role of the garden and its significance to personal identity and well-being." --Susan Clayton, Whitmore-Williams Professor of Psychology, The College of Wooster, USA

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction:

• Why garden? Gardening facts and figures








• Researching gardening and common themes

2. It?s my little bit of paradise

• Identity and relationships








• Home and place

3. Time stands still

• ?Attention Restoration Theory?








• ?Flow? theory?

4. In touch with Nature

• Evolutionary theories and Biophilia








• Nature in control ? the challenges

5. It keeps me sane

• Gardening as therapy?








• Nature and health?

6. Conclusions:

• Review and reflection - summary








• Greenfingers and expertise: ?being? or ?becoming? a gardener