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303 pages, Hardcover
First published July 7, 2020
1062 people are currently reading
10296 people want to read
About the author
Sue Stuart-Smith
4 books46 followersShe studied English Literature at the University of Cambridge before qualifying as a doctor and working in the National Health Service for many years, becoming the lead clinician for psychotherapy in Hertfordshire. She currently teaches at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust in London and is a consultant at DocHealth, a not for profit, psychotherapeutic consultation service for doctors.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 424 reviews
October 29, 2020
This is the perfect book for anyone who wants to understand why they started to grow 87 different kinds of lettuce during the quarantine.
June 12, 2020
I am a huge advocate of nature and an ardent believer in its restorative powers emotionally and physically. That said, I found this book really dry and hard to get into. It felt like a dissertation, like something I had to read for college credit. There are intriguing anecdotes but it's not a book that I would consider a pleasure read.
I read a digital ARC of this book for review.
I read a digital ARC of this book for review.
August 1, 2020
Starting out with the story of Stuart-Smith’s grandfather, his horticultural rehabilitation after a horrific spans as a POW in a Turkish prison during WWI. He escaped by sea, was rescued by a British ship, and miraculously recovered from extreme malnutrition, after given but months to survive. Migrating to Canada for a brief respite, working the land, he and his wife return to England. They buy a small farm, with an orchard and some critters, and begin their love of gardening.
Her mother follows suit, albeit on a smaller scale, when widowed young. She also utilized garden therapy to heal without being aware of the actuality. (The best! You don’t do it for it, it just is.)
Later, while in college, switching from her degree in English and training to be a doctor, she marries in her 3rd year of training. This is where the real push into the bush comes, as her new partner is an avid gardener. In their new home and acreage, (The Barn) the dirt is immediately under their nails.
Working as a psychiatrist, she, along with husband and 3 children, plunge into herbs, vegetables and the bounty of uses for them all.
We head into the head.. a garden of its own, if you will. Where blooms flourish, then die, like experiences to memories. Nods to great thinkers in both her fields, as well as homage to Wordsworth’s poetic analysis. Noting the gardens and toilers along the way, how it went from chores of slavery to a (somewhat) gentle therapy when the Benedictines began their therapeutic horticultural realms.
There is a lot of mind being explored with the soil. Both are heavily into her forte. Garden therapy is explained, examples and cases given, results in psyche and body noted. It’s in-depth.
When comparing early childhood development, as in the acceptance of failure, to that of growing plants from seed, she points out “hubris may be a weed that is not so commonly encountered in the mind of the gardener.”
Juxtaposing school and prison horticultural programs with their innumerable benefits to all involved. Talking to some partaking, their pride in being responsible for food, life, beauty.
We are taken into several therapeutic gardens, usually adjacent to a hospital. Churches are also known to occasionally have them nearby. (I visited an amazing garden in Phoenix intended for serenity.)
That nature is so heavily ingrained in our psyche.. (even genetic make-up?) should not be a revelation. We’ve only been void of its constant for 6 generations. Cities of such density are relatively new to our species. We are slowly evolving (tho more so devolving) from living off the land to driving hours just to find it. Sigh!
Loved chapter 6 / Roots. More nature than mind in-depth. Fascinating bit on Limpets. Loved that now ingrained knowledge. As also with prior chapter...I was agog.. how could I, a Master Gardener, been void of the knowing that a coconut is actually a seed?? The seed-planting Fijian ant is incredible!
Numerous references to famed mind healers and their connections to gardening, of course. Was pleased to see it’s been do prevalent.
In chapter 9 (War And Gardening) we are told of the abundant practice of foxhole gardens. Soldiers maintained their patches of food and beauty, a semblance of normalcy, as war raged about them. So sadly beautiful. Her own grandfather was a POW and she shares a bit of his story and recovery.
One of the best take-aways from the book was learning of the Todmorden “Incredible Edibles” movement, whereas townies grow site specific vegetables, herbs, fruits and such where they may most be needed / appreciated, for anyone to take. What a fabulous concept! I have a Little Free Library, and think next year, I’ll plant my devil strip with a little free garden. Hmm.
A well researched, heavily quoted, and bountifully resourced book with the later dutifully noted at the end. Interesting how many well-known people in other fields were also such avid gardeners.
Her mother follows suit, albeit on a smaller scale, when widowed young. She also utilized garden therapy to heal without being aware of the actuality. (The best! You don’t do it for it, it just is.)
Later, while in college, switching from her degree in English and training to be a doctor, she marries in her 3rd year of training. This is where the real push into the bush comes, as her new partner is an avid gardener. In their new home and acreage, (The Barn) the dirt is immediately under their nails.
Working as a psychiatrist, she, along with husband and 3 children, plunge into herbs, vegetables and the bounty of uses for them all.
We head into the head.. a garden of its own, if you will. Where blooms flourish, then die, like experiences to memories. Nods to great thinkers in both her fields, as well as homage to Wordsworth’s poetic analysis. Noting the gardens and toilers along the way, how it went from chores of slavery to a (somewhat) gentle therapy when the Benedictines began their therapeutic horticultural realms.
There is a lot of mind being explored with the soil. Both are heavily into her forte. Garden therapy is explained, examples and cases given, results in psyche and body noted. It’s in-depth.
When comparing early childhood development, as in the acceptance of failure, to that of growing plants from seed, she points out “hubris may be a weed that is not so commonly encountered in the mind of the gardener.”
Juxtaposing school and prison horticultural programs with their innumerable benefits to all involved. Talking to some partaking, their pride in being responsible for food, life, beauty.
We are taken into several therapeutic gardens, usually adjacent to a hospital. Churches are also known to occasionally have them nearby. (I visited an amazing garden in Phoenix intended for serenity.)
That nature is so heavily ingrained in our psyche.. (even genetic make-up?) should not be a revelation. We’ve only been void of its constant for 6 generations. Cities of such density are relatively new to our species. We are slowly evolving (tho more so devolving) from living off the land to driving hours just to find it. Sigh!
Loved chapter 6 / Roots. More nature than mind in-depth. Fascinating bit on Limpets. Loved that now ingrained knowledge. As also with prior chapter...I was agog.. how could I, a Master Gardener, been void of the knowing that a coconut is actually a seed?? The seed-planting Fijian ant is incredible!
Numerous references to famed mind healers and their connections to gardening, of course. Was pleased to see it’s been do prevalent.
In chapter 9 (War And Gardening) we are told of the abundant practice of foxhole gardens. Soldiers maintained their patches of food and beauty, a semblance of normalcy, as war raged about them. So sadly beautiful. Her own grandfather was a POW and she shares a bit of his story and recovery.
One of the best take-aways from the book was learning of the Todmorden “Incredible Edibles” movement, whereas townies grow site specific vegetables, herbs, fruits and such where they may most be needed / appreciated, for anyone to take. What a fabulous concept! I have a Little Free Library, and think next year, I’ll plant my devil strip with a little free garden. Hmm.
A well researched, heavily quoted, and bountifully resourced book with the later dutifully noted at the end. Interesting how many well-known people in other fields were also such avid gardeners.
February 16, 2022
Reseña en 5 minutos y al dictado
Empiezo el año 2022 con la reseña de un ensayo espeso y cuyo título en inglés (The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature) creo que refleja mejor el contenido de la obra, por muy bien que suene en castellano la coletilla de "las ventajas de vivir a ritmo de las plantas".
La autora posee una curiosa combinación de titulaciones: licenciada en literatura inglesa y con título en medicina, concretamente psiquiatría. Todo ello, unido a su afición de años a la jardinería, le permite escribir un ensayo a mi juicio con reflexiones muy interesantes, a veces tal vez un poco reiterativo, y en el que aborda con seriedad el efecto relajante que tiene la naturaleza, en concreto la jardinería o simplemente la contemplación del jardín, en la mente humana. Por tanto, estamos ante un ensayo puro y duro, escrito con perspectiva personal, y en el que no se da instrucción alguna sobre jardinería. Vamos, que este libro no te indica cómo plantar un tomate.
Me ha conmovido especialmente la parte en que habla de los soldados de la Primera Guerra Mundial que cultivaban flores en las trincheras. Al final del libro se incluye incluso una foto que a mí me ha puesto la piel de gallina. También me ha llegado al alma la mención a un jardín para personas con autismo severo, que no toleran ningún cambio y para los cuales la naturaleza puede ser perturbadora, y en el que se ha combinado plantas que permanecen prácticamente iguales a lo largo del año.
P.S. Como siempre, suelo leer al acabar el libro diversas reseñas de goodreads y hay una especialmente que por su sencillez y porque me atañe a mí me ha encantado. Más o menos lo que dice en inglés es "Este es el libro perfecto para quien desee entender por qué empezó a cultivar 87 tipos de lechuga durante la cuarentena".
Yo no he empezado a cultivar ni siquiera una triste lechuga, desde siempre me ha gustado la naturaleza en conjunto y las excursiones, pero he dejado de padecer esa "ceguera a las plantas" que tengo cerca, empezando por mi propio balcón y continuando por el entorno de mi barrio de ciudad. Alguien se estará preguntando cómo era posible que mi balcón estuviera lleno de plantas. Respuesta fácil: las cuidaban entre mi marido, mi madre y mi hijo. Ellos se limitaban a preguntarme, has visto qué flor tan bonita le ha salido al cactus, y la respuesta habitual era no...
Este libro me ha permitido entender desde el punto de vista de la mente y sin nada de esoterismo barato por qué en los últimos años he cambiado y las plantas han empezado a formar parte de mí, de mi mente racional y a ofrecerme tranquilidad. A veces se me olvida…, pero ahora cuido un poquito mis macetas y me alegra especialmente cuando veo (yo solita) una nueva flor.
Empiezo el año 2022 con la reseña de un ensayo espeso y cuyo título en inglés (The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature) creo que refleja mejor el contenido de la obra, por muy bien que suene en castellano la coletilla de "las ventajas de vivir a ritmo de las plantas".
La autora posee una curiosa combinación de titulaciones: licenciada en literatura inglesa y con título en medicina, concretamente psiquiatría. Todo ello, unido a su afición de años a la jardinería, le permite escribir un ensayo a mi juicio con reflexiones muy interesantes, a veces tal vez un poco reiterativo, y en el que aborda con seriedad el efecto relajante que tiene la naturaleza, en concreto la jardinería o simplemente la contemplación del jardín, en la mente humana. Por tanto, estamos ante un ensayo puro y duro, escrito con perspectiva personal, y en el que no se da instrucción alguna sobre jardinería. Vamos, que este libro no te indica cómo plantar un tomate.
Me ha conmovido especialmente la parte en que habla de los soldados de la Primera Guerra Mundial que cultivaban flores en las trincheras. Al final del libro se incluye incluso una foto que a mí me ha puesto la piel de gallina. También me ha llegado al alma la mención a un jardín para personas con autismo severo, que no toleran ningún cambio y para los cuales la naturaleza puede ser perturbadora, y en el que se ha combinado plantas que permanecen prácticamente iguales a lo largo del año.
P.S. Como siempre, suelo leer al acabar el libro diversas reseñas de goodreads y hay una especialmente que por su sencillez y porque me atañe a mí me ha encantado. Más o menos lo que dice en inglés es "Este es el libro perfecto para quien desee entender por qué empezó a cultivar 87 tipos de lechuga durante la cuarentena".
Yo no he empezado a cultivar ni siquiera una triste lechuga, desde siempre me ha gustado la naturaleza en conjunto y las excursiones, pero he dejado de padecer esa "ceguera a las plantas" que tengo cerca, empezando por mi propio balcón y continuando por el entorno de mi barrio de ciudad. Alguien se estará preguntando cómo era posible que mi balcón estuviera lleno de plantas. Respuesta fácil: las cuidaban entre mi marido, mi madre y mi hijo. Ellos se limitaban a preguntarme, has visto qué flor tan bonita le ha salido al cactus, y la respuesta habitual era no...
Este libro me ha permitido entender desde el punto de vista de la mente y sin nada de esoterismo barato por qué en los últimos años he cambiado y las plantas han empezado a formar parte de mí, de mi mente racional y a ofrecerme tranquilidad. A veces se me olvida…, pero ahora cuido un poquito mis macetas y me alegra especialmente cuando veo (yo solita) una nueva flor.
July 4, 2022
For the author’s children and many generations of children like them “the garden was a fantasy place and a real place at the same time.” As adults, wandering in a garden can calm our thoughts and allow our minds to float free to imagine. “Like a suspension in time, the protected space of a garden allows our inner world and the outer world to coexist free from the pressures of everyday life.”
Gardening is truly a creative process. First, we plan, then we work and then, we sit back reveling in the stillness. Finally, we watch and wait in wonder for seeds to sprout. “Gardening is about setting life in motion, and seeds, like dead fragments, help us re-create the world anew.”
Our garden is an outward expression of our inner thoughts and desires, whether we grow flowers, vegetables, or trees and shrubs. Tending our garden results in a sense of purpose and the rewards can be truly satisfying. “Even tending a window box can open a door onto another world.”
Gardening has the power of healing. “The therapeutic value of grounding in the aftermath of trauma is now recognized. Physical activity and bodily awareness can help reverse the sense of detachment and unreality to which dissociation gives rise.” Having our hands in the dirt can be a truly grounding experience.
When people are ill in hospital our instinct is to bring flowers to speed their recovery or brighten their day. “Beautiful flowers are known to trigger a true smile, an involuntary smile, known as a Duchenne smile, which, unlike a polite smile, lights up the whole face indicating genuine pleasure.” The physical action of smiling positively lifts our mood giving us a boost.
During the nineteenth century, Florence Nightingale recognized the healing power of nature and promoted natural light and lots of fresh air. She noted that patients who spent time outdoors in nature made speedier recoveries. Over the years, practices change, however there has been a recent movement back towards Nightingale’s theory of nature aiding recovery.
In 2011, the British Medical Association, announced a new set of guidelines “for increased psychological awareness in hospital design and recommending that all new hospitals should include a garden.”
Reading this book was pure pleasure and provided me with a renewed sense of wonderment and joy. Time to get back into my own garden!
Gardening is truly a creative process. First, we plan, then we work and then, we sit back reveling in the stillness. Finally, we watch and wait in wonder for seeds to sprout. “Gardening is about setting life in motion, and seeds, like dead fragments, help us re-create the world anew.”
Our garden is an outward expression of our inner thoughts and desires, whether we grow flowers, vegetables, or trees and shrubs. Tending our garden results in a sense of purpose and the rewards can be truly satisfying. “Even tending a window box can open a door onto another world.”
Gardening has the power of healing. “The therapeutic value of grounding in the aftermath of trauma is now recognized. Physical activity and bodily awareness can help reverse the sense of detachment and unreality to which dissociation gives rise.” Having our hands in the dirt can be a truly grounding experience.
When people are ill in hospital our instinct is to bring flowers to speed their recovery or brighten their day. “Beautiful flowers are known to trigger a true smile, an involuntary smile, known as a Duchenne smile, which, unlike a polite smile, lights up the whole face indicating genuine pleasure.” The physical action of smiling positively lifts our mood giving us a boost.
During the nineteenth century, Florence Nightingale recognized the healing power of nature and promoted natural light and lots of fresh air. She noted that patients who spent time outdoors in nature made speedier recoveries. Over the years, practices change, however there has been a recent movement back towards Nightingale’s theory of nature aiding recovery.
In 2011, the British Medical Association, announced a new set of guidelines “for increased psychological awareness in hospital design and recommending that all new hospitals should include a garden.”
Reading this book was pure pleasure and provided me with a renewed sense of wonderment and joy. Time to get back into my own garden!
June 14, 2024
Lo mío no son los ensayos.
Pero al coqueteo de la naturaleza en forma de jardines, huertos, plantas, flores, que hay en cada página de este libro no me puedo resistir. De la belleza al bienestar, con argumentos sólidos y cuidado absoluto en la escritura, termino entendiendo bien el siempre insinuado efecto del verde en nuestras vidas, de la provocación del campo, de la sutileza, la estridencia o el caos natural y eso que no sabía que era, y siempre está en mis mejores momentos.
Pero al coqueteo de la naturaleza en forma de jardines, huertos, plantas, flores, que hay en cada página de este libro no me puedo resistir. De la belleza al bienestar, con argumentos sólidos y cuidado absoluto en la escritura, termino entendiendo bien el siempre insinuado efecto del verde en nuestras vidas, de la provocación del campo, de la sutileza, la estridencia o el caos natural y eso que no sabía que era, y siempre está en mis mejores momentos.
May 10, 2020
The main idea of the whole book is that the gardening is good for everyone: for kids, adults, old people. The gardening is great during the peaceful time and during the war time. The gardening gives amazing results for those who are in the hospitals and in the prison. And now you need to read this book to know why and how the gardening helps everyone.
April 14, 2022
У наш час, як і в час після війни, психотерапія - один з важливих компонентів підтримувати свою психіку в здоров'ї, знаходити радість і моменти щастя в простому.
"Садотерапія. Як позбутися бур'янів у голові?" Сью Стюарт-Сміт - це короткий екскурс в терапевтичну дію природи, її вплив на настій та життя людини. Книга позитивна та насичена емоціями, оптимістична та легка. Та попри все базується не на "хтось комусь сказав", а на потужній доказовій базі (список приміток з посиланнями на наукові дослідження та книги більше, ніж на 20 сторінок).
Книга про природу та її терапевтичний вплив могла б виглядати як посібник "Що посадити, щоб почувати себе краще?", проте це книга про емоції, відчуття своїх бажань, свого бачення та мрій. Науковий матеріал поданий в перемішку з історіями реальних людей, наукові дослідження з досвідомом авторки - це все створює неймовірно цікаву мозаїку садотерапії.
З мого досвіду, садотерапія - це гарний шанс відволіктись від усього. Я як цілий день пориюсь у землі (але лиш при умові, що з власної ініцівтиви), то декілька днів, а то і тиждень відчуваю спокій і мало що може вивести мене з себе. Та і результа�� завжди гарний, он які весною тюльпани і гіацинти гарні виросли.
"Садотерапія. Як позбутися бур'янів у голові?" Сью Стюарт-Сміт - це короткий екскурс в терапевтичну дію природи, її вплив на настій та життя людини. Книга позитивна та насичена емоціями, оптимістична та легка. Та попри все базується не на "хтось комусь сказав", а на потужній доказовій базі (список приміток з посиланнями на наукові дослідження та книги більше, ніж на 20 сторінок).
Книга про природу та її терапевтичний вплив могла б виглядати як посібник "Що посадити, щоб почувати себе краще?", проте це книга про емоції, відчуття своїх бажань, свого бачення та мрій. Науковий матеріал поданий в перемішку з історіями реальних людей, наукові дослідження з досвідомом авторки - це все створює неймовірно цікаву мозаїку садотерапії.
З мого досвіду, садотерапія - це гарний шанс відволіктись від усього. Я як цілий день пориюсь у землі (але лиш при умові, що з власної ініцівтиви), то декілька днів, а то і тиждень відчуваю спокій і мало що може вивести мене з себе. Та і результа�� завжди гарний, он які весною тюльпани і гіацинти гарні виросли.
August 23, 2021
I agree heartily with the premise of the book, but as a reading experience, it was a little dull: chapters that recount study after study or practicum after practicum to reinforce the central thesis that gardening is good for the mind. A lot of Freud and Donald Winnicott too. Not bad at all, and some passages are lovely, but it wasn’t compelling, even if I take its premise absolutely to heart.
November 13, 2021
I loved this book! It put a lot of my thoughts and experiences in nature into words, and backed them up with the psychological reasoning behind why a connection to nature can feel so good. It made me want to get out and garden 🪴
June 10, 2020
As someone who recently lost her sister to ovarian cancer and who felt dumbed by the loss, listening to Sue Stuart-Smith read her book The Well Gardened Mind unlocked the numbness. Her voice is soothing, to the extent of feeling her arms wrapt around me as I sobbed into my gardening gloves.
For me it is a book about healing through garden therapy. I loved the way science was backed up with a story. I especially loved parts where the author Sue Stuart-Smith spoke from her heart about a personal experience.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in mental health combined with gardening. Listening for me was wonderful as grief sometimes makes reading a challenge, also having the hard copy beside my bed to re read parts has also been wonderful.
For me it is a book about healing through garden therapy. I loved the way science was backed up with a story. I especially loved parts where the author Sue Stuart-Smith spoke from her heart about a personal experience.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in mental health combined with gardening. Listening for me was wonderful as grief sometimes makes reading a challenge, also having the hard copy beside my bed to re read parts has also been wonderful.
December 3, 2020
For many years Sue Stuart-Smith regarded gardening as a form of “outdoor housework.” It was the life of the mind that she sought, and states, “ … I would no more have plucked a weed than baked a scone or washed the curtains.” She knew that gardening was a part of her family’s history, which she writes about. For her, it was not until some crises and interactions took place, that Stuart-Smith changed her attitude about gardening, which resulted in a profound refocus about her personal and professional life. There were gardening connections in her past, and there would be more in her future. After studying literature at Cambridge University, she qualified as a doctor in psychiatry, and specialized in psychotherapy. While at university she met and married Tom Stuart-Smith, “ … for whom gardening was a way of life.” He is an internationally well-known landscape architect and garden designer. Their personal histories and dissimilar professional training have led to her serious research about the therapeutic values found in gardening and in nature, and to their joint work on the Serge Hill Project.
Stuart-Smith documents gardening in various times and places, whether it was for food or aesthetics, and who was involved in the actual work; how gardening has been used in modern times for those with addictions, trauma, depression, PTSD; the restorative powers of having plant life in hospitals, prisons and cement-covered urban areas. There is scientific evidence that all types of plants, in form and color, coalesce to bring elevated levels of good hormones--especially for those who take care of plants and gardens. Throughout the book, Stuart-Smith’s background and interest in literature and the humanities, enriches her scientific writing, with quotations from historical and modern thinkers.
There is great satisfaction in turning around a piece of earth, getting rid of unwanted plants, enriching the soil, and growing something aesthetically beautiful and/or nutritionally beneficial on it. The gratification comes from actively gardening and the daily tending that is part of it, and from the results, which are never guaranteed.
Reviewed by Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & Fiction
Stuart-Smith documents gardening in various times and places, whether it was for food or aesthetics, and who was involved in the actual work; how gardening has been used in modern times for those with addictions, trauma, depression, PTSD; the restorative powers of having plant life in hospitals, prisons and cement-covered urban areas. There is scientific evidence that all types of plants, in form and color, coalesce to bring elevated levels of good hormones--especially for those who take care of plants and gardens. Throughout the book, Stuart-Smith’s background and interest in literature and the humanities, enriches her scientific writing, with quotations from historical and modern thinkers.
There is great satisfaction in turning around a piece of earth, getting rid of unwanted plants, enriching the soil, and growing something aesthetically beautiful and/or nutritionally beneficial on it. The gratification comes from actively gardening and the daily tending that is part of it, and from the results, which are never guaranteed.
Reviewed by Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & Fiction
April 28, 2020
I thought this book was intriguing and the Author made some interesting points but, overall I found it to be a challenging read. I was not expecting an indepth analysis of the beauty of nature, detailed and dissected to the point, where the 'beauty' is lost in the microscopic descriptions. Some details are best left unexplained and viewed as a 'whole' rather than obliterated into detailed minutiae.
Also the descriptions of "restorative effect on the nervouse system" and "in addition to M. vaccae are likely to be other strains of bacteria commonly found in the soil that will enhance mental health." I thought I was reading a textbook. And, "War and Gardening" No thank you. Just "No."
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Digital Sales for the opportunity to review this interesting book.
jb
https://seniorbooklounge.blogspot.com/
Also the descriptions of "restorative effect on the nervouse system" and "in addition to M. vaccae are likely to be other strains of bacteria commonly found in the soil that will enhance mental health." I thought I was reading a textbook. And, "War and Gardening" No thank you. Just "No."
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Digital Sales for the opportunity to review this interesting book.
jb
https://seniorbooklounge.blogspot.com/
October 9, 2020
The Well-Gardened Mind The Restorative Power of Nature explains and demonstrates how restorative gardening is a great way of rehabilitating the aged and those in grief recovery.
Author Stuart-Smith does a phenomenal job coupling therapy and gardening.
a garden may be a more accessible way of reconnecting with life-giving impulses.
…gardening is a way of expressing nurturing feelings that was not caught up in the unpredictability and completely of human relationships.
I absolutely enjoyed reading The Well-Gardened Mind The Restorative Power of Nature
Those who are hurting emotionally, mentally and physically will want to take the time to read and go into the growth-mindset mode and accept the information.
The Well-Gardened Mind The Restorative Power of Nature is a book I highly recommend for everyone.
Author Stuart-Smith does a phenomenal job coupling therapy and gardening.
a garden may be a more accessible way of reconnecting with life-giving impulses.
…gardening is a way of expressing nurturing feelings that was not caught up in the unpredictability and completely of human relationships.
I absolutely enjoyed reading The Well-Gardened Mind The Restorative Power of Nature
Those who are hurting emotionally, mentally and physically will want to take the time to read and go into the growth-mindset mode and accept the information.
The Well-Gardened Mind The Restorative Power of Nature is a book I highly recommend for everyone.
July 19, 2020
I highly recommend this beautiful book..
“In a powerful combination of contemporary neuroscience, psychoanalysis and compelling real-life stories. The well gardened mind investigates the remarkable effects of nature on our health and wellbeing”
“In a powerful combination of contemporary neuroscience, psychoanalysis and compelling real-life stories. The well gardened mind investigates the remarkable effects of nature on our health and wellbeing”
September 20, 2020
I absolutely love being in my garden but I just could not get into this book. I wouldn't say this is a bad book but definently not for me, sounds much more interesting than it actually is.
November 24, 2020
I found this book a review of already known ideas by myself. It is worth reading, inspiring, and logically mapped out.
December 13, 2020
Well intentioned, but ultimately rather boring; not enough compelling material or new insights worthy of an almost 300 page book.
September 10, 2024
Es muy buena lectura pero para mí se hace bastante repetitiva en cuanto ejemplos, todos los ejemplos son prácticamente iguales y la verdad es que a mí me sobran, me hubiera gustado más que haya más desarrollo de la información y menos ejemplificación de las ideas.
March 21, 2022
First half was an absolute 5 stars. I have at least 30 page flags crammed in the first 5 chapters.
The second half dragged for me a bit, but I do think that was more reader-error since I was half audio-booking, half physically reading, and would put it down down for weeks at a time.
In the words of Haley Heynderickx in her song Oom Sha La La, let me just say “I NEED TO START A GARDEN!!”
The second half dragged for me a bit, but I do think that was more reader-error since I was half audio-booking, half physically reading, and would put it down down for weeks at a time.
In the words of Haley Heynderickx in her song Oom Sha La La, let me just say “I NEED TO START A GARDEN!!”
November 27, 2024
Me ha gustado mucho, pero si no tienes unas nociones mínimas de psicología no vas a disfrutarlo demasiado. Hay que leerlo poco a poco, con calma.
January 20, 2021
This book is extremely in my area of interests and I was so looking forward to reading it, but I just couldn't get into it. It's dense, repetitive, rambling...could really have benefited from structure. Stuart-Smith also failed to celebrate modern day gardening such as indoor gardening, which is just as valid for its therapeutic merits and encompasses a younger demographic. A very dry read.
July 7, 2020
This was a wonderful read that offers insight into the healing power of gardening. The anxiety provoking time that we have lived through in recent months has seen gardening become a respite and retreat for experienced and novice gardeners. This book helps understand why. Heartily recommend.
February 9, 2024
Obra con información MUY rigurosa basada en diversos estudios sobre curiosidades a nivel filosófico, psicológico, neurocientífico… Me ha parecido información muy valiosa a la par que versátil, todo enfocado en la naturaleza, las plantas y nuestra relación con ella/s desde distintos ámbitos. Ha sido muy interesante conocer cómo en algunos centros penitenciarios tienen en cuenta esta conexión con la naturaleza para fomentar la ayuda psicológica, así como los beneficios terapéuticos que tiene interactuar de forma activa en lugares naturales, así como afianzar más la idea sobre la forma de vida moderna cada vez más desvinculada de los ritmos naturales y cómo esto nos afecta, por ejemplo, a nivel anímico.
Como bien dice la autora en su ensayo:
“El sentido común nos dice que el aire fresco, la luz del sol, el ejercicio y acceso a lugares verdes y tranquilos son buenos para la salud de la gente que vive en las ciudades. Sin embargo, nos hemos alejado tanto de todo esto que necesitamos que la ciencia nos demuestre sus efectos beneficiosos”.
Todo muy bien fundamentado y argumentado como se puede verificar en la gran bibliografía que proporciona. Un trabajo de investigación realmente brillante por parte de la autora. Aunque he de decir, que a pesar de que ese haya sido uno (entre otros) de los aspectos que más he valorado, no ha sido una lectura muy ligera, pues en cada párrafo hace referencia a un estudio, un autor, un movimiento… y en ocasiones quizás sea demasiado.
Como bien dice la autora en su ensayo:
“El sentido común nos dice que el aire fresco, la luz del sol, el ejercicio y acceso a lugares verdes y tranquilos son buenos para la salud de la gente que vive en las ciudades. Sin embargo, nos hemos alejado tanto de todo esto que necesitamos que la ciencia nos demuestre sus efectos beneficiosos”.
Todo muy bien fundamentado y argumentado como se puede verificar en la gran bibliografía que proporciona. Un trabajo de investigación realmente brillante por parte de la autora. Aunque he de decir, que a pesar de que ese haya sido uno (entre otros) de los aspectos que más he valorado, no ha sido una lectura muy ligera, pues en cada párrafo hace referencia a un estudio, un autor, un movimiento… y en ocasiones quizás sea demasiado.
April 2, 2022
This book blew my mind 🤯 in some ways, even though I’ve always known in my soul that nature and gardening are good for me, now I know what’s going on chemically and neurologically in my body that makes it so. But this book is more than that. It’s not a book of gardening tips, if that’s what you’re looking for, you won’t find it. It’s more of a book that sets out to raise awareness about how we are connected to the earth, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. How a relationship with the natural world is essential for our well being.
I’m simultaneously reading this and Braiding Sweetgrass and a feel like both of these authors are teaching similar conclusions, but through different fields of study, different lenses telling us the same thing. So that’s been an interesting paralleled reading. This book is also teaching me things about mental health and the brain that are similar to what I learned from reading The Self-Driven Child, specifically about flow-state and radical downtime. So that’s cool.
I loved reading about the rat habitat experiment. And I loved learning about the WWI trench gardens. And my favorite chapter was probably the one on death. I was really interested in the idea of cyclical time vs. linear time and how that has shaped cultures. This book inspired me to buy flower seeds this year, instead of only veggie seeds.
Anyways, super fascinating read. And now I want to go work in the garden.
I’m simultaneously reading this and Braiding Sweetgrass and a feel like both of these authors are teaching similar conclusions, but through different fields of study, different lenses telling us the same thing. So that’s been an interesting paralleled reading. This book is also teaching me things about mental health and the brain that are similar to what I learned from reading The Self-Driven Child, specifically about flow-state and radical downtime. So that’s cool.
I loved reading about the rat habitat experiment. And I loved learning about the WWI trench gardens. And my favorite chapter was probably the one on death. I was really interested in the idea of cyclical time vs. linear time and how that has shaped cultures. This book inspired me to buy flower seeds this year, instead of only veggie seeds.
Anyways, super fascinating read. And now I want to go work in the garden.
September 30, 2025
как бы ни старался автор сделать этот текст художественным, это просто научная диссертация по психиатрии.
да, в ней можно найти много интересных вещей, но бесконечно читать об исследованиях, где цитаты учёных об одном и том же, что ты ИТАК уже понял (садоводство помогает не поехать кукухой, не благодарите), заставляют скучать и воспринимать книгу, как что-то нудное и полное воды.
да, в ней можно найти много интересных вещей, но бесконечно читать об исследованиях, где цитаты учёных об одном и том же, что ты ИТАК уже понял (садоводство помогает не поехать кукухой, не благодарите), заставляют скучать и воспринимать книгу, как что-то нудное и полное воды.
March 20, 2022
There's no downside to a garden--or even a potted plant, as this fascinating book charts for us.
May 30, 2024
Me 🤝🏻nature non fiction books.
August 10, 2021
I agree with everything in this book. As someone who started gardening last year, the joy of nature is really something to behold that we shouldn’t take for granted. It’s healing for our mind, a good form of exercise and just a happy, enriching activity that we should all be partaking in.
January 21, 2022
There were lovely examples of how people instinctively turn to nature and are restored mentally and physically by gardens. I enjoyed the stories of patients, prisoners, refugees, soldiers, and school children experiencing healing by working the earth, growing flowers and food.
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