Need a mood boost? Here's why gardening might be worth a try

The connection between gardening and mental wellbeing is well-documented by researchers. (Unsplash: Jonathan Kemper)

After the birth of her youngest child, Manu Prigioni found herself in a tough place.

Bushfires had torn through the Blue Mountains during her pregnancy, destroying about 200 homes and damaging even more.

Manu Prigioni says gardening helped her reconnect with an important part of herself. (Supplied: Manu Prigioni)

It was a frightening time for those who lived there, and against this backdrop, Manu's natural desire to keep her children safe evolved into what she describes as "obsessive-compulsive tendencies".

Germs were the enemy, and she cleaned furiously. Her home was spotless, but she was washing her hands frequently and having repeated panic attacks.

Knowing she needed help, Manu reached out to a community health service and was put in touch with a psychologist — who happened to be into gardening.

"She happened to be a really amazing organic grower, and … it was exactly what was needed."

Her psychologist suggested exposure therapy, and for Manu, getting her hands into compost and soil — which contain microbes like bacteria and fungi — was part of this.

The exposure treatment was a slow process "because it was terrifying", she says.

Being in nature, taking pause, moving the body and the opportunity for social connection — that's the perfect recipe for boosting our mental health.

And eventually, being in the garden helped lead her back to a part of herself she had forgotten.

Before migrating to Australia, Manu grew up in Italy and spent her early childhood outdoors.

"From zero to six years old, I lived in a little village and my grandpa looked after me because my parents were both working," she says.

Most days, Manu and her "nonno" (grandfather) would be outdoors.

"We would pick flowers. We would forage for different seasonal things, like chestnuts and hazelnuts … then we would sit in specific places together to look at the fields," she says.

"And I realise now that … had a big effect on me when I was growing up.

"I'd kind of forgotten because for decades I hadn't lived with a garden."

Manu Prigioni has rediscovered her love of nature in a big way. (Supplied: Manu Prigioni)

While experts agree that gardening alone is not a treatment or fix for mental illness, a growing body of evidence links it with higher levels of mental wellbeing and life satisfaction.

A study published in 2023 found a significant association between longer durations of gardening and greater mental wellbeing and life satisfaction, based on survey res