Ecotherapy: why plants are the latest treatment for depression and anxiety

The combination of physical activity, social contact and being surrounded by nature is thought to make gardening beneficial for our mental health

Many gardeners already know the uplifting feeling you get from being muddied of hand, nurturing plants from seed to bloom and watching the seasons change. It is something the NHS is increasingly taking notice of, too, as a way to improve and manage mental health, along with other conditions.

A GP surgery – Cornbrook medical practice in Hulme, Manchester – has started prescribing gardening to people with anxiety and depression. Patients are given plants to care for, which are later planted in the surgery’s communal garden – a place where they can join in an activity with others and strengthen social connections.

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Ecotherapy: why plants are the latest treatment for depression and anxiety

The combination of physical activity, social contact and being surrounded by nature is thought to make gardening beneficial for our mental health

Many gardeners already know the uplifting feeling you get from being muddied of hand, nurturing plants from seed to bloom and watching the seasons change. It is something the NHS is increasingly taking notice of, too, as a way to improve and manage mental health, along with other conditions.

A GP surgery – Cornbrook medical practice in Hulme, Manchester – has started prescribing gardening to people with anxiety and depression. Patients are given plants to care for, which are later planted in the surgery’s communal garden – a place where they can join in an activity with others and strengthen social connections.

Continue reading...

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Status toilets: why new-build homes are bursting with bathrooms

Houses are being built with more loos than people to use them. When did bathrooms become more about quantity than quality?

Name: Status toilets.

Age: Popping up all the time.

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Status toilets: why new-build homes are bursting with bathrooms

Houses are being built with more loos than people to use them. When did bathrooms become more about quantity than quality?

Name: Status toilets.

Age: Popping up all the time.

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We want to port our mortgage to a cheaper property

I won’t be working as much, so will we end up with cash in our bank if we do this?

Q We live in London and want to port our mortgage to a cheaper property. We bought our house for £444,000. The original mortgage was £333,000 and we now owe just under £320,000.

If we wanted to buy a house for £400,000 or £385,000, would we actually get cash in the bank when we sell our current house? I won’t be working as much so we’d like more savings in the bank and less of a monthly mortgage outgoings.
I am quite confused about the process and was wondering if you could shed any light.
CH

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How to prepare your garden before selling your home Nottingham Estate Agents

Malcolm Button, Senior Estate Agency Manager at Aberdein Considine, gives some top tips for ensuring that outside space looks fresh and cared for Ensuring that your property looks fantastic indoors is always important but it’s crucial to spare a thought for your garden, which during the cold winter months can often become neglected. To help […]

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Kevin McCloud and investing in local ventures | Letters

Judy Eames on the news that investors in the Grand Designs presenter’s property firm could face big losses

You report (Grand Designs’ McCloud faces property nightmare, 23 August) that shareholders could make big losses after being promised big returns by a property company run by Grand Designs’ Kevin McCloud. I’ve lost count of how often this has happened. For some it’s loss of gambling money; for others life savings are involved. In the McCloud HAB case, the risks were flagged up in these pages in January 2017. How many investors read the financial pages and heed the advice?

Localised small-scale cooperative ventures are more appropriate for many investors. A while ago I made a small investment in a local solar energy development, for environmental reasons and not expecting large returns. But it has done well. A regular feature about investments in such projects would be a great help to readers like me.
Judy Eames
Aston, Oxfordshire

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