It’s not just your imagination — spending time with plants really does make you feel better!
There’s a growing body of peer-reviewed research showing that working with plants, soil, or engaging in horticultural activities helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms — while promoting calm, happiness, and overall well-being.
At The Plant Place, we see it every day: people walk in feeling tense, and walk out smiling, grounded, and relaxed after a creative planting experience. But the science goes even deeper — here’s what research says:
The Science Behind the Calm
Tu, H. M., et al. (2022). Effect of horticultural therapy on mental health: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 29(4), 603–615.
➡️ Read the PDF | PubMed Summary | Wiley Online Library
🔍 What they found: A review of 18 controlled studies showed that horticultural therapy has a significant positive effect on mental health (effect size ≈ 0.55) — meaning measurable reductions in stress and improvements in mood and well-being.
Soga, M., et al. (2016). Gardening is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis. Scientific Reports.
➡️ Full Text (PMC)
🔍 What they found: Across multiple studies, gardening was linked to lower depression and anxiety and higher life satisfaction — confirming that time spent in nature has lasting psychological benefits.
Van Den Berg, A. E., & Custers, M. H. (2011). Gardening promotes neuroendocrine and affective restoration from stress. Journal of Health Psychology.
➡️ Read PDF | Journal DOI
🔍 What they found: After a stressful task, people who gardened for 30 minutes had larger drops in cortisol (the stress hormone) and felt more positive than those who relaxed by reading indoors. Gardening literally helps the body reset after stress.
Kim, K. H., & Park, S. A. (2018). Horticultural therapy program for middle-aged women: Effects on depression and anxiety. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 39, 154–159.
➡️ Publisher Page (ScienceDirect) | PDF (Konkuk University)
🔍 What they found: A structured gardening program significantly reduced depression and anxiety and boosted self-esteem among participants — showing how even short-term horticultural programs can make a difference.
Panțiru, I., et al. (2024). The impact of gardening on well-being, mental health, and quality of life: An umbrella review. Systematic Reviews.
➡️ Open Access Article
🔍 What they found: A comprehensive review of dozens of studies found consistent evidence that gardening and plant-based activities improve mental health, mood, and quality of life, reinforcing what many of us already feel intuitively — plants heal.
Why It Works
Part of the benefit may come from our connection to nature, but studies also suggest that soil contact itself can help lift mood. Exposure to beneficial soil microbes, such as Mycobacterium vaccae, may influence immune and stress-response systems in ways that enhance emotional resilience. So yes — getting your hands a little dirty can actually make you happier!
Experience It for Yourself
At The Plant Place, we bring this science to life. Whether you’re building a terrarium, creating moss art, or crafting a nature-inspired project, you’re doing more than making something beautiful — you’re caring for your mind and body, too.
Plant. Create. Relax.
