The Healing Power of Gardening
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to explore how gardening supports emotional well-being. This month, we’re reading The Well-Gardened Mind by Sue Stuart-Smith — a beautiful blend of science, storytelling, and insight into the healing power of nature.
If you’ve ever felt a sense of calm while pulling weeds, peace while planting seeds, or unexpected joy watching something grow, this book puts words — and science — to that experience. Psychiatrist, psychotherapist and gardener Sue Stuart-Smith takes us deep into how tending to the earth can also help us tend to ourselves.
Gardening has long been a source of peace, renewal, and resilience. Stuart-Smith shows how digging in the soil can ease stress, lift depression, and even transform lives — from prisoners and at-risk youth to elderly gardeners who enjoy longer, healthier lives. Her book offers a powerful reminder that reconnecting with the rhythms of growth, decay, and renewal is vital in our fast-paced, tech-driven world.
What makes The Well-Gardened Mind so special is the way it blends hard science with heart. You’ll learn how the brain responds to nature, why our neural networks mimic the growth patterns of trees, and how simple acts like planting or pruning can create space for healing, connection, and hope.
“It is the only time I feel I am good.”
— Kay, a patient who found her sense of worth while reclaiming a garden once left in ruins
As we care for our gardens this month, let’s also nurture our own minds and souls. The Well-Gardened Mind is the perfect companion for this journey — and a reminder that even in seasons of struggle, something beautiful can grow.
Reading Schedule for The Well Gardened Mind
📚 13 Chapters/288 pages
Week 1: Read Chapters 1–3 Discussion May 6
Week 2: Read Chapters 4–6 Discussion May 13
Week 3:Read Chapters 7–9 May 20
Week 4: Read Chapters 10–13 Discussion May 27
How The 2025 Garden Book Club Works
Tuesdays I’ll be chatting about the book over on my Instagram Stories! Each discussion will be saved to the Garden Book Club Highlight so you can catch up anytime. Want the full 2025 book list? Find it here!
How to Participate
- 📖 Get the Book – Check your library or find it on my Amazon store (affiliate link).
- 📅 Follow the Reading Schedule – Posted here and on Instagram Stories.
- 📌 Stay on track! I’ll post weekly reminders so you can follow along at your own pace. No pressure—just join when a book interests you! Even if you’re not reading, you’re welcome to follow along on Instagram Stories.
- 🌿 Join me on Instagram Stories every Tuesday for discussions on the book’s themes and key takeaways.
- 💬 Join the Discussion – Share your insights via Instagram DMs (written or voice). I’ll share some of your insights throughout the week.
Where to Find The Well Gardened Mind
📖 You can find the book at:
- Your local library
- AbeBooks, ThriftBooks, Audible, or Amazon
You can listen to the author speaking about the transformative positive power of gardening on mental health in the YouTube video below.
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