Kaila Scott
Professor Lipsey
ENC 1102
28 July 2023
Annotated Bibliography
Research question: How would any average person benefit from establishing a form of gardening
in their life?
Source 1
Thompson, Richard. “Gardening for Health: A Regular Dose of Gardening.” Clinical Medicine
(London, England), June 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6334070/.
Summary
In this excerpt "Gardening for Health: A Regular Dose of Gardening", from a clinical medicine
journal by the Royal College of Physicians, Richard Thompson, a past president, cites a great
deal of evidence concluding that exposure to green space is beneficial to one's health, mentally
and physically. This supposed benefit could also reduce pressure on NHS services, allowing their
attention to be spent more efficiently elsewhere. This report begins with a short introduction
about the NHS's stance on the matter. Thompson details the many variables prescription drugs
have, highlighting some of the problems with them, and finally signaling the need for a better
solution at the end. The two subsequent sections, "Green Care", and "Gardens" help establish the
point of the text. The first is about "Green care", which he defines as therapy by exposure to
plants and gardening, listing innumerable sources and their many helpful, positive outcomes. The
"Gardens" and “The Green environment” sections are largely about the positive effect gardens
can have on hospitals and the patients therein. The last section describes while simultaneously
concluding point of the text; the bodily and mental impact of Gardening as a practical medicine.
Key Quotes
•
“Many studies in the UK and other countries concur that higher proportions of green
space, especially biodiverse habitats, 20 are associated with less depression, anxiety and
stress, even after controlling for potential confounding factors such as deprivation.”
(Thompson, 201)
•
“The social interaction provided by communal and therapeutic garden projects for those
with learning disabilities and poor mental health can counteract social isolation.
Furthermore, it has also been reported that the social benefits of such projects can delay
the symptoms of dementia.” (Thompson, 202)
•
“Numbers of visitors to garden centres and private gardens, such as those in the National
Garden Scheme or run by the National Trust, are increasing. Gardening has been
associated with a lower prevalence of dementia and with positive health effects in several
countries, 36,37 and economic benefits have been shown, for instance, for mental health
services.” (Thompson, 202)
Source 2
Wimmer, Lisa. “Dig into the Benefits of Gardening.” Mayo Clinic Health System, 12 July 2022,
www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/dig-into-thebenefits-of-gardening.
Summary
Lisa Wimmer, an APRN, wrote an article published by the Mayo Clinic Health System
amusingly titled “Dig into the benefits of gardening”. In this article she discusses the benefits of
gardening, those benefits from her experience with it firsthand, and gardening's rightfully
increasing popularity. Wimmer, who is a decorated and experienced nurse, shares her own need
to connect with nature and the value of what she gets out of it, citing the 10 years of personal
experience she's gained. For instance, one positive effect one can get from gardening is in the
different movements done during the activity. Gardening can mimic whole body exercise when
the participant is bending, squatting, and lunging. She also mentions the effects of the improved
diet anyone can get from eating what they grow, and just how good time in nature is for one's
mental and physical health. Nearly all forms of exercise can reduce stress or anxiety. Wimmer
details how she gets it and her relief from it, highlighting that gardening falls into that category.
Of the many helpful things the author shares, her tips at the end of the article are some of the
most helpful. She advises an interested reader to start small, find others who enjoy gardening,
and remember to research appropriate plants to the one's climate, optimizing all the positive
effects of each tip. Her account as a medical professional and dedicated active participation with
her claims amplify the truth in the personal account she shares.
Key Quotes
•
“Nearly all forms of exercise can reduce stress including gardening. It's been shown to
lighten mood and lower levels of stress and anxiety. It's very gratifying to plant, tend,
harvest and share your own food.” (Wimmer)
•
“Growing and eating your own fruits and vegetables can have a positive impact on your
diet. Gardeners are more likely to include vegetables as part of healthy, well-balanced
diets. My family eats corn, potatoes and salsa made from ingredients grown in our garden
year-round.” (Wimmer)
•
“Getting outdoors is good for your physical and mental health. People tend to breathe
deeper when outside. This helps to clear out the lungs, improves digestion, improves
immune response and increases oxygen levels in the blood.” (Wimmer)
Source 3
Pérez-Urrestarazu, Luis, et al. “Particularities of Having Plants at Home during the Confinement
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, Apr. 2021,
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8569528/#sec0005title.
Summary
The "Particularities of having plants at home during the confinement due to the COVID-19
pandemic", was a study that evaluated the important role plants indoor plants and greenery held
during the height of the pandemic. COVID-19 had left countless people without freedom to visit
open, green places. For this study, there was a questionnaire completed by 4205 candidates,
evaluating the emotional well-being effects of plants, both indoor and outdoor, considering
different behavioral, social, and demographic variables. The whole study found that the presence
of indoor plants aligned with a creation of positive emotions, even during confinement to one's
home. People who participated in the study had preferences, and their preferences all provided
different results. Living walls were a major highlight of this study; they were seen as advantageous
for increasing indoor vegetation, and that therefore increased one’s happiness. The study
concluded with conclusive evidence showing that indoor plants positively influenced one's
emotional well-being during confinement.
Key Quotes
•
“For instance, a decrease in the perception of pain, fear, unhappiness, and aggressiveness
has been found to be associated with the presence of indoor plants (Burchett et al., 2008).
In addition, stress seems to be reduced in indoor environments enriched with vegetation
compared with indoor spaces without plants (Park et al., 2008; Thomsen et al., 2011).”
(P´erez-Urrestarazu, 2)
•
“In all cases, the option without vegetation (A) was the least preferred (Fig. 6). In indoor
spaces, few (5–7) plants in pots were desirable (option B), although in the case of Room
1, the option regarding many plants and a living wall (option D) was also well-rated.”
(P´erez-Urrestarazu, 7)
•
“A number of studies point out that plants support psychological restoration by acting as
visual features in the environment that evoke aesthetic experiences and hold attention
(Bringslimark et al., 2009). In order to efficiently enhance this effect, the occupants’
preferences and the overall visual impact of the proposed arrangement of the plants can
play an important role (Park et al., 2008).” (P´erez-Urrestarazu, 9)
•
Source 4
Blair, Dorothy. “The Child in the Garden: An Evaluative Review of the Benefits of School
Gardening.” Journal of Environmental Education, vol. 40, no. 2, Winter 2009, pp. 15–38.
EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.3200/JOEE.40.2.15-38.
Summary
"The Child in the Garden: An Evaluative Review of the Benefits of School Gardening," by
Dorothy Blair, examines the benefits of school gardening and its effects on children's education
and behavior. Blair assesses some existing literature related to children's gardening, reviewing
outcomes of several studies, their effects on the children, and how teachers are instrumental to
the success of gardening as a valuable learning resource. On several different occasions, we find
that when the teacher's understanding of relevant key concepts like agricultural literacy or the
usefulness in children doing gardening activities, the positive effects a child could gain are not as
potent. The main question addressed in the author's review of the literature is fixed whether a
school garden without drastically making changes or additions to a school's curriculum would
yield measurable and observable changes in student behavior and achievement. The journal
further examines the changes that could be made to optimize a school gardening's effeteness in
practice, but it could be a viable, and formative tool for children.
Key Quotes
•
“The results of qualitative, quantitative, and survey research have supported the
conclusion that school gardening can improve students’ test scores and school behavior.
Teachers believe that gardens promote academic instruction.” (Blair, 35)
•
“The results of the reviewed research were positive. In all, 9 out of 12 quantitative studies
reinforced the results of Lieberman and Hoody (1998), showing increased science
achievement and behavioral improvement in schools that use school gardening as their
integrating context for learning.” (Blair, 33)
•
“Using a criteria of p < .05 for significant results, 9 of the 12 studies revealed a positive
difference in test measures between gardening students and nongardening students.
School gardening increased the science scores in all reported studies. Gardening
improved elementary student preference for vegetables as snacks in Texas (Lineberger &
Zajicek, 2000) and California (Morris & ZidenbergCherr, 2002).” (Blair, 20)
Source 5
Shiue, Ivy. “Gardening Is Beneficial for Adult Mental Health: Scottish Health Survey, 2012–
2013.” Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, vol. 23, no. 4, July 2016, pp. 320–
25. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.3109/11038128.2015.1085596
Summary
"Gardening is beneficial for adult mental health: Scottish Health Survey," was another study
conducted to investigate the connection between mental health and gardening in adults, utilizing
data from a Scottish Health Survey. Prior research has already exhibited the practical and
positive impact that gardening has on one's mental well-being, but that research was focused on
participants from therapy settings and individuals from specific patient groups. The goal of this
study was to complete the jigsaw puzzle; organizers from the UK Department of Health Care, the
Dementia Research Center and several universities found that working in gardening or
construction was associated with better mental health outcomes. This study found that gardening
may be a valuable activity that promotes positive outcomes for our overall mental health.
Fascinatingly, the survey confirmed that the benefits benefited people with and without heart
disease, and spanned areas such as attention, decision-making and overall well-being.
Key Quotes
•
“An earlier Scottish study using data from 1995, 1998, and 2003 showed that different
types of activities including domestic (housework and gardening), walking, and sports
were all independently associated with lower odds of psychological distress (GHQ
score4¼ 4), although the strongest effects were observed only for sports” (Shiue, 3)
•
“In particular, for stroke survivors, studies of patients in Sweden (14), the UK (15), and
the USA (16) have shown that activities of daily living such as gardening could increase
their life satisfaction over time.” (Shiue, 3)
•
“In addition, in coronary heart disease (including myocardial infarction and angina)
survivors, light to moderate activity such as gardening could also potentially assist with
emotional well-being and prevent all-cause mortality (17,18).” (Shiue, 3)
Synthesis
All of the sources can come together as one, where they all work together and off each other to
support this annotated bibliography's proposed question. Each source is more evidence and
reason, and they all relate when they come together to form the question's answer. Lisa Wimmer,
an APRN and avid gardener, whose article is a listed source in this bibliography, is a perfect
example of the effects gardening can have with her detailed personal experience. It is as if
Wimmer is a participant of one of the studies, and her article is a journal of her time participating
in said study. With an exception to Wimmer's, all of the pieces of research I've acquired have
been accredited sources. Wimmer claimed to receive many benefits in her article, which each of
the studies all corroborate on proving the possible effectiveness of gardening.
Improved diet, increased exercise, reduced stress levels, and the fostering of social connections
are a few of the benefits Wimmer has received. Both Wimmer and Thompson, the author of my
first source, “Gardening for Health: A Regular Dose of Gardening.” seems to believe that
increased exercise is a positive side effect of gardening. For example, Wimmer says, “Nearly all
forms of exercise can reduce stress including gardening. It's been shown to lighten mood,
exercise the body and lower levels of stress and anxiety." (Wimmer) and Thompson's research
says, “Working in the garden restores dexterity and strength, and the aerobic exercise that is
involved can easily use the same number of calories as might be expended in a gym. Digging,
raking and mowing are particularly calorie intense; 43 there is a gym outside many a window.”
(Thompson, 202) This means Thompson's evidence backing up Wimmer's claim. The subsequent
sources back up her other claims with thoroughly researched evidence for each, in turn all
supporting a definitive answer to the proposed research question.
Wimmer and my third source, P´erez-Urrestarazu, seem to believe that time spent in nature or in
this study's case, time spent with plants is supremely good for health. For example, Wimmer
says, :"Getting outdoors is good for your physical and mental health. People tend to breathe
deeper when outside. This helps to clear out the lungs, improves digestion, improves immune
response and increases oxygen levels in the blood." and P´erez-Urrestarazu says, "Mental health
benefits typically co-occur with other ecosystem services and benefits (Bratman et al., 2019),
such as the improvement of the indoor air quality or thermal comfort (i.e., absorption of harmful
volatile elements and compounds, increasing humidity and decreasing temperature in the house),
which in turn also affect emotional responses due to their direct relation to people’s physical
state (e.g., headaches, throat irritation, etc.)." (P´erez-Urrestarazu) This means that P´erezUrrestarazu's research corroborates with her Wimmer's. The improvement of air quality and
thermal comfort are both amazing side effects of being around nature and plants that benefit
health.
Both Wimmer and the author of my fourth source, Blair seems to believe that improved diet can
be another product of gardening. Blair in her research focuses on the benefits of gardening on
children when they are implemented by teachers at school. Wimmer says, "Growing and eating
your own fruits and vegetables can have a positive impact on your diet. Gardeners are more
likely to include vegetables as part of healthy, well-balanced diets" (Wimmer) and Blair in her
observations of many studies says, Out of the seven studies, four described how vegetable
gardens provided holistic food and nutrition education, food-systems thinking, tasting, snacking
resulting in a lasting change in the child's approach to fresh food and vegetation.” Blair (31)
Blair's research means that gardening can change your approach to food, and thus can change
what somebody would be inclined to ingest.
Lastly, Wimmer and Shiue, the author of my last source, seem to believe that gardening brings
people together, socially connecting them. For example, Wimmer says, "Gardening brings
people together and strengthens social connections.," She continues; "Social connections are
important because they help lower stress, improve resilience and provide support during difficult
times in life. A strong sense of belonging lowers your risk of depression, anxiety and suicide."
(Wimmer) and Shiue says, "The gardening experience could interrupt the participants’ negative
ruminations, offering stress or pain relief and elements of social inclusion and selfactualisation,." This means that the social aspect of gardening is beneficial to social inclusion,
bringing people together while interrupting harmful thoughts and emotions.
Reflection
My research question’s topic changed right before I was supposed to begin my writing process.
At first, my question’s topic was about Will and Testaments. I tried many different combinations
of my topic and other ideas as I formed multiple questions, questions I thought could find an
answer to. Unfortunately, the ideas I would try to combine with my original topic did not work
together. I found it impossible to find a question I could propose that was not incredibly dry. Any
questions about will and testaments do not have an open-ended answer, so I switched my topic to
something I found more interesting at the last minute; health and gardening.
I love plants, nature, and taking care of myself so that each part of being is functioning as well as
it can. I thought, if I like them so much, why am I not doing something more related to those
interests? That was my “Aha!” moment. All my time leading up to deciding to change my
question was spent trying to figure out why I was not invested in my research. “Aha!”, it was
simply because I wasn’t connected to the topic. Once I changed that, the experience became a lot
easier to go through. With my first, quite unusable topic, I kept grasping at straws. I looked at
that first topic's history with religion, the possible historic problems, or changes that could be
made to them for the better. All of those were dead ends, but when I was looking at the
gardening, I noticed just how much easier it was to create a question to write about. Gardening
and health together had an innumerable number of subtopics to research. I also think it was
easier for me to research because I am more accustomed to thinking about science than any kind
of law.
The gardening question I was able to investigate was, “How would any average person benefit
from establishing a form of gardening in their life?” I ended up determining that there are so
many ways to answer this question because there is so much research combining the topics of
nature and our health. When I decided on my question, I already knew that there was an answer
to it, but I just had to get the research to prove my question had a positive answer.
The hardest part after forming a question is always deciding how I should form and present my
answer with all the research. For this Bibliography, I chose to structure my synthesis by making
the sources come together while using one of my sources. I used Lisa Wimmer’s article (one of
my sources) and her personal experience as a foundation for explaining each article's proven
benefits. There are countless possible benefits from spending time around plants and nature. The
articles I collected were what I limited myself to. This document would have been over 5000
words if I had only picked 5.