For landscape designer and stroke survivor Miria Harris, suffering a stroke was a “disconnecting and disembodying experience.”
“A stroke can strike anyone at any time. The after effects of a stroke affect people in different ways; the only communal experience is the trauma.”
Discover eight ways gardening can support you on your recovery journey.
1) Helps you to adapt
Jonathan Jones survived a haemorrhagic stroke in 1999. “I had to relearn to walk and talk and I had a weakness on one side of my body,” says Jonathan. “I found not being able to work on the garden frustrating.”
Prior to his stroke, Jonathan worked as a journalist. He now works for the Stroke Association as a Stroke Information Officer and often speaks to survivors as part of his role. He tells them: “I’ve been where you are and it is a long hard struggle, but you can do it.”
In 2001, Jonathan and his family took on an allotment. “When I first started spending time at the allotment, some of the more experienced gardeners would approach me and try to give me advice. I explained to them that I’ve had a stroke and would need to find my own way of doing things.”
“We’ve installed raised beds in the allotment, so I don’t have to bend down as much. When I need to get closer to the ground, I use a kneeler and trowel,” explains Jonathan.
Jonathan also finds breaking jobs down into smaller tasks makes them more manageable. “I keep a small container close by so when I’m pulling out weeds, I have somewhere to put them. Once I’ve finished, I’ll carry the container to the compost heap at the bottom of the garden.”
2) Promotes independence
Tim Forward is the Lead Occupational Therapist on the Bradley Unit at Woking Community Hospital. Tim works with patients who have neurological conditions or have survived a neurological event such as a stroke or a brain injury.
In 2023, a partnership between the RHS and NHS saw a wellbeing garden open at Woking Community Hospital.
“Many of our patients are in hospital for a period of rehabilitation. They are offered a variety of treatments from speech therapy to physiotherapy. Between those sessions there’s a lot of downtime, so having the ability to, with support or independently, access the garden makes a real difference to wellbeing and alleviates boredom.”
“Abilities can vary along with the amount of time that people stay with us. If a patient wants to be involved in gardening tasks, we’ll look to make this possible for them as soon as they can. Some gardening activities require a level of mobility but there are still lots of things those who aren’t mobile can do.”
“Whether they were a keen gardener previously or not, completing an activity can boost patients’ morale and wellbeing on the wards.
“Gardening provides an opportunity for people to physically engage in something and they can see visible results from it. They can carry it on through their admission and once they’ve left hospital as well,” says Tim.
3) Creates space to process the trauma
Landscape designer Miria Harris is working with the Stroke Association to create a Show Garden for the 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
“It is important to adapt gardens to consider the various physical, mobility and visual difficulties that might be experienced by stroke survivors,” says Miria. “Active gardening can help improve physical dexterity while plants with scent, those that rustle in the breeze or are soft to touch can have a positive calming effect.”
“It needs to be accessible and for different people that can mean different things. For those who aren’t as able, having raised beds and wheelchair accessible options are essential for them to participate,” explains Tim.
4) Improves social skills
According to Tim, the Wellbeing Garden at Woking Community Hospital has already had an impact on the whole ward, including patients and staff.
“When the garden area looks nice, it raises morale and people want to go outside, and they feel the benefits of the garden when they do,” says Tim.
5) Aids mental and physical recovery
Getting outdoors and having some time to just be with your own thoughts can help with your physical and mental recovery.
Jonathan’s allotment is situated at the top of a hill with open views across the countryside. “I go up there when I want some time for myself and enjoy the peace and quiet. The allotment has been a good way for me to get some exercise and something we could do as a family. I’m always meeting people there and most will stop for a chat so there is a sense of community as well.
“When we took it on, I was new to allotment gardening so the tips I received from others were useful,” says Jonathan.
6) Lifts your spirits
Allow yourself to take time to interact and have a relationship with plants.
The Wellbeing Garden at Woking Community Hospital offers those who can’t easily get out to the garden, something beautiful to look at.
7) Offers a sense of purpose
Grow your own fruit and veg and you’ll never be short of having enough to eat. “It’s satisfying to see vegetables such as potatoes and beetroot starting to poke out of the soil,” says Jonathan.
“We’re so lucky to have the allotment because instead of having to pay large prices in the supermarket we’re eating what we grow. We grow potatoes, turnips, cabbages, apple and pear trees, spring onions, anything that can be stuffed into the ground.
“The first year or two we grew far more than we needed, and we couldn’t eat it all. We now try and leave some beds fallow for a year, and use raised beds to limit how much we grow,” says Jonathan.
8) Reminds you to be kind to yourself
“Be kind to yourself, allow yourself not to be pressured by the idea of getting ‘better’ and embrace the idea of being different. There are many bumps in the road and recovery is not linear,” said Miria.