Designing green spaces for the greater good

Years of research have shown the health benefits gained from gardening - an activity that increases mobility and aerobic fitness, while reducing waistlines, the risk of dementia, heart disease, and type-2 diabetes. What's not to love? But the positive effects go beyond the acts of planting, weeding, and mowing. Forest Bathing - a Japanese practice of just immersing oneself in nature- is linked to improved mental health. Green spaces, gardens, are good for us. But not all gardens are created equal. Dr Gayle Souter-Brown is a landscape architect and founder of Greenstone Design - a salutogenic design specialist. Her latest research examines the relationship between mental wellbeing and green spaces.