Is it time we ditched the word ‘gardening’?

The term might seem inoffensive, but it’s loaded with cultural baggage

Fascination with the natural world seems hardwired into our most basic human instincts. There is not only a beneficial effect from spending time in green spaces – as shown by the way it can reduce stress levels and even speed healing times in hospitals. But a growing body of scientific evidence now shows we don’t just like plants, we have a physical need to be around their beauty. So, here is my question: why, even as a nation of gardeners, do we struggle to get people involved in gardening?

I’ve been sitting on panels for more than a decade as industry bodies, media outlets and charities try to address the increasingly worrying question of how few young people are interested in horticulture. With garden societies closing, course places going unfilled and nurseries shutting shop, it’s becoming quite urgent.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/mnitUNf

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