Did you know that smelling roses is good for our emotional well-being and mental health? 'Stopping to smell the roses' is considered a rather old-fashioned way of telling ourselves to take some time out to breath and regroup. Somehow we seem to have dismissed this piece of wisdom as out of date and no longer relevant.
In our fast paced lives, perhaps there has never been a better time to 'stop and smell the roses'! From my doctoral research I know that science now tells us that spending time in the natural environment is good for our health.
Taking time out to walk in nature was once upon a time a common way of regrouping and giving our minds a rest. In fact, from research we now know that spending time with nature helps us recover from illness faster and even helps to reduce pain, requiring less pain medication.
There is also research that demonstrates engaging with nature can help us improve our mood. Our emotional well-being is enhanced if we engage with the natural environment. Not all of us have access to a large garden, of course. But spending time in the natural environment can be as simple as looking at a tree through a window, or walking through a city park, or planting up pots of herbs on our balcony.
It seems obvious really that we can improve our health spending time in nature. Of course walking in a lovely garden, or hiking through a wilderness, or even digging in a small garden have always been recognised as a pleasant leisure activity. Now we have finally again recognised these activities as being good for our well-being.
And in response to this rediscovered recognition of benefits to our health and well-being, there are community gardens abounding in most capital cities around Australia. Many of these gardens are modelled on community gardens that have been long-established in the United Kingdom, particularly in densely populated cities.
But did you know that smelling roses is also good for our brains? This simple act of putting our noses in the centre of an open rose and inhaling improves our mood and also helps to create new pathways in our brain. Innately we know this. Who has not immediately buried their nose in a bunch of roses purchased from the supermarket only to be disappointed with their lack of perfume?
In fact, there is evidence that suggests smelling pure rose oil extracted from fragrant roses can help with depression and sadness. Essential oil of roses (attar of roses) is said to also provide us with a sense of joy! If ever there was a reason needed to 'stop and smell the roses', then this is definitely worthwhile. And so, it is without any sense of guilt that I indulge in this activity daily!
I'm extremely fortunate to have been able to design and develop a large country garden, an on-going work. Even while writing my thesis on the benefits of engaging with natural environments for female inmates, I dreamt of one day creating a large country garden. I am so grateful that I can now realise this. Which is why I love to share this knowledge and experience in our workshops.
Our workshops draw on my research and training and so are therapeutic, restorative and educational. But they're also lots of fun where we get to walk the gardens and 'smell the roses' and make lovely floral creations using roses and herbs grown in the rose gardens. And, of course, there's always lots of coffee and cake too!
So follow us on Facebook (Edgeworth LLey-Heirloom Roses) to stay up to date with what's happening at my rose garden!
