This blog post is a summary of an original BBC article by Julia Hotz. Read the full article here.
Research increasingly shows that gardening is more than just a relaxing pastime – it can preserve cognitive function, protect against dementia, and improve overall well-being.
Take the story of Marianne Rogstad, a retired hotel clerk from Norway. After being diagnosed with dementia, she became isolated – until she joined Impulssenter, a small “care farm” outside Oslo. These care farms, part of Norway’s national dementia care plan launched in 2015, offer people living with dementia the chance to stay active, social, and engaged through gardening and farm work.
Why Gardening Boosts the Brain
Studies show gardening is a powerful form of cognitive stimulation. According to Dr. Melissa Lem, a family physician and researcher at the University of British Columbia, nature prescriptions like gardening can:
-
Increase physical activity
-
Reduce stress
-
Improve social connection
-
Support healthy weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar control
These effects reduce risk factors for diseases linked to dementia (Lem et al., UBC).
Gardening also engages memory, planning, and problem-solving skills. As Dr. Janie Corley from the University of Edinburgh explains, it taps into the “use it or lose it” principle of cognitive health (Corley et al., University of Edinburgh).
Supporting Evidence
-
The Nun Study (2002): Over 800 nuns in the U.S. who frequently engaged in mentally stimulating activities showed a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease (Snowdon et al., JAMA).
-
Japanese Older Adults Study: Found that meaningful daily activities protect against memory decline (Yokoyama et al., Geriatrics & Gerontology International).
-
University of Edinburgh Lifetime Study: Compared intelligence scores at ages 11 and 79, finding those who gardened regularly showed greater lifetime improvement in cognitive ability (Corley et al., University of Edinburgh).
Care Farms: A Growing Prescription
Norway’s Inn på tunet (“into the yard”) initiative now integrates care farms into dementia care nationwide. Other countries are exploring similar models as researchers continue to validate the mental health benefits of gardening and nature-based prescriptions.
As Dr. Lem puts it: “We all know that more physical activity improves mental and physical health, but gardening supercharges those benefits.”
