Children who engage in horticultural activities are able to relax and interact better with others, and become better team players.

The therapeutic value of plant-people interactions has long been known. In ancient Egypt, some doctors would prescribe a walk in the park as a treatment for their royal patients, while others would encourage patients to participate in farming activities.

Still, it was only during the 1900s that these types of therapeutic applications expanded to include people with limited mobility, mental conditions, and at-risk youth.

Why care about greenery?
As a person who is passionate about horticulture and is an avid gardener, I am concerned about the next generation, which appears to be little-interested in nature. I have noticed that as we become more urbanised, children’s exposure to nature has become less frequent.

This is unfortunate, as various studies, dating from 1984 to one conducted more recently in 2008 by the University of Michigan on "The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting With Nature", have concluded that interaction with greenery is an important way to reduce stress, improve well being and develop character.

This is something our former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew realised too, when he started on a campaign to green Singapore in the 1960s. He believed that a city filled with lush greenery will help improve the morale of people, as well as make them proud of their environment.

Children who join their parents on nature-based activities, such gardening, usually develop a much more appreciative mindset towards nature and have an environmentally-conscious attitude.

The value of starting young
It is best to inculcate from a young age a greater awareness of the value of nature, so that children will have an appreciation of nature and recognise the importance of having nature in their environment; this is especially important for children raised in towns and cities.

The value of nurturing in children an interest in nature is supported by studies, one of which was conducted in the U.S. in 2004. A 20-minute telephone survey was carried out in 112 of the most populated metropolitan areas across the U.S., among adults aged 18 to 90 and across different demographics, to find out their current attitudes towards nature The survey also drew relations to their childhood experiences. The results showed that respondents who, as children, were active participants in outdoor activities that included gardening or other nature-related programmes were more appreciative of the value of having greenery in the city.

Children in urban areas can be exposed to nature through bringing them to play in open fields, doing handicrafts with plant parts like floral press, and through gardening activities. This can be achieved by bringing children to play in an open field, doing handicrafts using plant parts - and gardening activities.

Every child can benefit from nature
Children with medical conditions should not be excluded from gardening, as they will also enjoy the benefits of being outdoors and working with nature. Furthermore, as they grow into adults, their decisions will also impact the environment they live in. One example is given by the Osaka Prefecture Medical Centre for Respiratory and Allergic Disease (Japan), which provides horticultural therapy to its long-term asthmatic child patients as a form of supplementary holistic treatment.

 
Gardening helps children express themselves better and improves their attention span.

Time to enjoy the greenery
I believe that reducing children’s time with nature or the amount of greenery around them will create a generation that is less sensitive towards nature and with less appreciation of the importance of greenery in the living environment.

Active involvement in horticultural activities is a direct way of reaping the benefits of greenery. As a gardener, I find that this activity is a simple and enjoyable way to help build muscle tone, enable me to de-stress, and clear my mind. In addition, gardening with other people has helped me to expand my social circles and improve overall life satisfaction.

For those who have difficulty indulging in gardening, perhaps due to medical conditions, do consider using modified structures or working with others. Even if you cannot physically participate in the planting, you can provide advice or just enjoy sharing the time outdoors. Even without active participation, simply looking at a garden through a window or sitting in a park has been proven to be beneficial to a person’s mental and emotional state.

By Maxel Ng