Study shows garden appreciation boosts wellbeing

The verdict is in: you really should stop and smell the roses!

A new study lead by Swinburne University of Technology graduate Leith Symes has discovered that appreciating gardens can boost the health and wellbeing of regional Australians.

While the idea is not a new one, past research was focused on metropolitan areas, and the act of gardening rather than appreciating them.

‘Surrounding yourself with beauty’: exploring the health promotion potential of a rural garden appreciation group, published this month in Health Promotion International, opens the door to potential new health promotion initiatives to improve the poorer health outcomes experienced by regional and rural Australians compared with their city counterparts.

Flowers and friendship

Symes was inspired by the gap in research linking gardens and wellbeing outside metropolitan areas, particularly when he heard about Colac Horticultural and Marvellous Property Appreciation Society (CHAMPAS).

“I was corrected many times when I said the group’s name – they’d say, ‘No, no, no, you've got it wrong. It's CHAMPAS like champagne,’ because at their events there's often champagne involved,” he said.

Formed in 2017, the volunteer group from south-west Victoria hosts meet ups of notable gardens and properties in the area.

“That whole idea that because people live in the countryside, they're not desperate for green space and gardens is a bit flawed,” Symes said.

“It was extremely surprising the amount of people that were involved in CHAMPAS.”

Key findings from the study suggest wellbeing outcomes include direct and indirect impacts on physical fitness, social connectedness and friendship, and an improved sense of pride and self-esteem.

First Class Honours

The study began as an Honours year project for Symes in 2021 while studying a Bachelor of Health Sciences at Swinburne, majoring in health across the life span and biomedical science, for which he was awarded First Class Honours.

As part of the findings, it recommends potential health promotion initiatives for regional and rural Australians.

Symes is putting his passion for public health policy and the research skills he learnt through his degree to good use.

He is currently working full time at non-profit community services organisation South East Community Links, investigating ways to mitigate the impacts of drugs and alcohol in the area.

“I’ve fallen in love with this job,” he said.

“I like helping people, and I’m working with a group of people that all have that same opinion, really good moral values and want to see people's lives improve.”