Campaign highlights the therapeutic value of gardening for those with terminal illnesses

A new joint campaign between Marie Curie, the UK’s leading terminal illness charity, and the National Garden Scheme, launches this week.

The campaign, ‘The Good of Gardening’, aims to highlight the therapeutic potential of gardening for people living with terminal illnesses, and their families.

It follows a report published last year by the King’s Fund, and commissioned by the National Garden Scheme, that summarised research evidence linking gardens and gardening to a range of physical and psychological wellbeing benefits.

Marie Curie, who provides care and support for people with terminal illnesses via their nursing service and 9 UK hospices, also say that gardens can have significant benefits for those dealing with the stress of caring for a loved one.

Mark Hughes has been living with cancer for 17 years and had to give up his job as a lorry driver six years ago due to his condition. He is now a keen gardener and feels that gardening has had a positive impact on his life since receiving his terminal diagnosis.

He describes gardening, which he enjoys doing together with his wife Jane, as being “the best medicine”.  

Mark says: “My hobby is gardening and it keeps you motivated, mentally and physically – you’ve got to do something to occupy your brain, it doesn’t matter what it is. I’m not sure what’s going to happen in the future, but I find the best thing to do is to keep setting myself goals and aiming for those.”

“I love being in the garden, it is very therapeutic and the time seems to go really fast when I’m gardening. It helps me to forget about my illness, the aches and pains and really helps me to relax.

“It is sometimes quite hard work and I have to manage how much work I do these days but I always do as much as I can. My wife worries about how she will manage to maintain the garden in future as my condition deteriorates and I can do less and less.

“After I was diagnosed with terminal cancer it meant that I could no longer do my job as a truck driver. After being away almost every week with my job, I then spent a lot more time at home with my wife. I also began to spend more time in the garden too.

“What keeps me going is actually annoying my wife. Every day, it’s my main mission to get up and annoy her in the best way I can! And I don’t treat each day as my last  ̶  I just get up, enjoy the day I’ve got, keep going and do as much as I can.”

The National Garden Scheme is Marie Curie’s largest single funder and the partnership has raised over £8 million since 1996, helping the charity to provide care and support to thousands of people living with terminal illnesses, and their families. Thousands of people open their gardens to visitors each year to raise money for the National Garden Scheme, which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year.

George Plumptre, Chief Executive of the National Garden Scheme, has this year been developing the Scheme’s understanding of the relationship between gardens and health: “Like Mark, 63% of our garden owners say that gardening has a positive impact on both their physical and mental health*. Gardening is an inclusive activity and can be very therapeutic, which is why our partnership with Marie Curie, highlighting these effects, is so important.”

If you have questions about terminal illness, need support or just want to talk, call the Marie Curie Support Line on 0800 090 2309. It’s for anyone affected by terminal illness, including family and friends.

For more information on ‘The Good of Gardening’ click here