Does gardening improve mental health outcomes?
Moderate EvidenceIT DEPENDS
Moderate evidence from meta-analyses and systematic reviews supports that gardening activities reduce depression, anxiety, and stress while improving well-being, though most studies have methodological limitations and the active ingredients (nature, exercise, social contact, purpose) are unclear.
The Verdict
Moderate evidence from meta-analyses and systematic reviews supports that gardening activities reduce depression, anxiety, and stress while improving well-being, though most studies have methodological limitations and the active ingredients (nature, exercise, social contact, purpose) are unclear.
What the Evidence Shows
Gardening encompasses physical activity, nature exposure, purposeful occupation, and often social interaction—making it a multicomponent intervention for mental health. A 2017 meta-analysis in Preventive Medicine Reports pooled 22 studies and found significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and increases in life satisfaction and quality of life among gardeners compared to non-gardeners. A 2018 review in Landscape and Urban Planning synthesized qualitative and quantitative evidence showing consistent mental health benefits across community gardening, allotment gardening, and horticultural therapy programs. A 2013 systematic review specifically examined gardening for people with mental health problems and found improvements across mood, self-esteem, and social functioning. However, a 2016 review noted that most evidence comes from cross-sectional or uncontrolled studies, with self-selection bias (people with better mental health may be more likely to garden), lack of randomization, and inability to isolate which components of gardening drive benefits being major limitations.
Evidence Quality
2
Meta-Analyses
5
RCTs
18
Observational
Important Caveats
- ⚠️ Self-selection bias: healthier people may choose to garden rather than gardening making people healthier
- ⚠️ Impossible to blind participants to gardening interventions
- ⚠️ Multiple active components (exercise, nature, social, purpose) cannot be disentangled
- ⚠️ Most studies are cross-sectional or use non-randomized designs
- ⚠️ Benefits may depend on voluntary participation—prescribed gardening may not work similarly
- ⚠️ Seasonal and weather limitations affect consistency and accessibility of gardening as intervention
Population Studied
Community-dwelling adults; elderly in residential care; people with diagnosed mental health conditions; community garden participants; allotment holders
Dosage
Studies measured effects of 30 minutes to several hours per week of gardening; community garden programs typically involved weekly sessions over growing seasons
Duration
Cross-sectional comparisons; intervention studies ranged from 8 weeks to one growing season (4-6 months); few long-term longitudinal studies
Supporting Studies (3)
Gardening is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis
Meta-AnalysisSoga M, Gaston KJ, Yamaura Y. · Preventive Medicine Reports (2017)
Meta-analysis of 22 studies found that gardening was associated with significant reductions in depression (d = -0.36) and anxiety (d = -0.26), and increases in life satisfaction, quality of life, and sense of community compared to non-gardening controls.
View paper (DOI) →Gardening, health and well-being: A literature review
reviewThompson R. · Landscape and Urban Planning (2018)
Comprehensive review found consistent evidence that gardening improves mood, reduces stress, enhances self-esteem, and increases social connectedness, with benefits observed across community gardens, private gardens, and structured horticultural therapy programs.
View paper (DOI) →Gardening as a mental health intervention: a review
Systematic ReviewClatworthy J, Hinds J, Camic PM. · Mental Health Review Journal (2013)
Systematic review found that gardening programs for people with mental health problems consistently reported benefits including reduced depression symptoms, improved self-esteem, enhanced social functioning, and increased engagement and motivation.
View paper (DOI) →Contradicting Studies (1)
Gardening and health: A critical review of the evidence
reviewNicklett EJ, Anderson LA, Yen IH. · Journal of Applied Gerontology (2016)
Critical review found significant evidence gaps including predominance of cross-sectional designs, small sample sizes, lack of standardized outcome measures, and inability to control for self-selection bias. The evidence is insufficient to support causal claims about gardening and mental health.
Why this disagrees:
Highlights that without adequate randomization and control for confounders, the consistent positive associations may reflect reverse causation (mentally healthier people garden more) or confounding by physical activity, social contact, and outdoor time. The review argues that the field lacks the methodological rigor needed to inform clinical recommendations.
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