When your punishment for behaving badly as a child is weeding an entire row of plants at the family nursery, one could be forgiven for not finding gardening enjoyable.
And while Gardening Australia host Sophie Thomson is the first to admit her love of horticultural pursuits wasn’t apparent from a young age, the self-professed ‘obsessive compulsive gardener’ can now happily attest to the myriad of health and wellbeing benefits the pastime provides when she takes to the Queensland Garden Expo stage in Nambour in July.
The Adelaide Hills local – who joins gardening gurus Costa Georgiadis and Jerry Coleby-Williams on the event’s speaker line-up on 7-9 July – says she is looking forward to delving into the positive impacts gardening posed for the mind and body and detailing why she considers gardening food for the soul.
“Gardening can be an incredibly powerful tool and is amazingly healing for both individuals and communities,” Sophie says.
“I’ve worked with people whose homes and businesses have been completely devastated by bushfires, and have seen first-hand how the simple act of coming together with others and generating new life through green space or a community garden can have a profound impact on one’s frame of mind and ability to cope.”
“The social interaction alone builds strong, resilient and connected communities, and that truly is something money can’t buy.”
Sophie says the swell of evidence supporting the physical and mental benefits of gardening is far from simply anecdotal, with research indicating gardening and access to green space has positive effects on everything from blood pressure to stress levels.
“Various studies have associated horticultural activities and garden settings with reduced stress levels, feelings of calm and relaxation, heightened levels of attention and self-esteem, and enhanced memory function,” she says.
“You only have to wander out to your patch and take a few deep breaths to feel the sense of calm and tranquility that gardening brings.”
“Looking beyond the backyard, gardening presents a number of positive applications within healthcare settings, particularly in areas such as aged care.”
“Horticulture therapy – where green spaces and gardening activities are used as rehabilitation activities – has been shown to decrease pain in aged care and rehabilitation patients, minimise agitation and even reduce falls.”
And for the average backyard gardeners and not-so-green thumbs among us?
“If all else fails and you’ve had a terrible day, there’s nothing more satisfying than dusting off the secateurs and unleashing your frustration on a hedge or overgrown shrub!”
Sophie is a renowned speaker, author, broadcaster, horticulturalist and trained naturopath, as well as a strong advocate for sustainable gardening practices and growing organic food.
She will journey to the Sunshine Coast to take part in the Queensland Garden Expo between 7 and 9 July, with gardening for health and wellbeing just one of the topics she will focus on throughout the three-day event.
The 2017 expo will feature more than 120 presentations and demonstrations across eight stages, with 55 nurseries expected to sell over 40,000 plants a day. It will be held at Nambour Showgrounds, Coronation Avenue, Nambour.
To find out more or purchase tickets online, please visit www.qldgardenexpo.com.au.
Fast facts — Queensland Garden Expo
• Three-day event
• 38,000-plus attendees
• 360-plus exhibitors and displays including 55 nurseries
• 120-plus free lectures and demonstrations
• Eight speaker stages
// Ends.
Media contact
Kristen Roder, Fresh PR & Marketing M: 0406 546 461 E: kristen@freshprm.com.au
More details
Where: Nambour Showgrounds, Coronation Avenue, Nambour on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
When: Friday, 7 July to Sunday, 9 July 2017.
Opening times:
Gates open 8:00am daily.
Gates close 5:00pm Friday and Saturday, 4:00pm Sunday.
Disability access: The showground offers excellent facilities for wheelchair visitors with on-site disabled parking, easy access and ground level exhibits along with disabled toilet facilities. Guide dogs are welcome.
Tickets:
Adult entry – $18.
Aged concession – $16.
Children 15 years and under – Free.
Groups of 10 or more – $16 each.
Two-day weekend pass (Saturday and Sunday) – $30.
Three-day pass – $40.
