Garden yourself healthy with Johnsons lawn seed

There is an increasing awareness of the ways that gardening and green spaces can improve mental wellbeing and physical health.

Gardening is a healthy hobby and helps us to adopt a less sedentary lifestyle and connects us with nature. The UK’s leading lawn seed brand, Johnsons Lawn Seed delves deeper into how gardening can improve your body, mind and soul, as well as offering some top tips on how to create a beautiful luscious green lawn for all to enjoy.

Our gardens can have a significant impact on our emotional and mental wellbeing. A study by Trellis revealed that 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience mental health problems in their lifetime. People who have regular access to green spaces show an increase in their productivity, lower stress levels, and an improvement in mood. For those that have a fast-paced and stress-filled job or a hectic schedule, being able to relax on a well-kept lawn, or indulge in some active play with children and the pets in the garden can be a fantastic way to bring balance into our lives.

A good green and natural landscape in urban areas has been shown to reduce anxiety and social isolation, as well as strengthening community bonds. The satisfaction you derive from having a great looking lawn is also good for your self-esteem, seeing the beautiful green oasis which results from your hard work is a boost to the ego.

A survey commissioned by RHS, has revealed that 80% of UK gardeners say gardening helps to keep them fit and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Mowing the lawn was cited as one of the top three activities to give the best fitness workout, burning up 250 calories in an hour, so not only will you be keeping fit but you will have a fantastic lawn as a centrepiece that sets off the rest of the garden. To ensure your lawn creates the maximum impact, when mowing the lawn, set the mower blades to between 1-3 inches, depending on the length of your grass. By cutting at the right height, the lower leaves can develop into thicker, stronger plants. If your lawn looks sparse, or has weeds filling the gaps, this is often a clear sign that you are cutting too short.

Skip the gym and aerate

Digging or raking a lawn for 30 minutes requires as much energy as a 2km run meaning low intensity gardening can reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, tone muscles and lower blood and cholesterol levels. Now the colder months are behind us your lawn will need some TLC so it’s a great chance to get out into the garden and get your blood pumping and your heart rate up. If moss and weeds have taken over, eliminate compaction by aerating the area, scarify by raking the moss and fill in gaps with grass seed. Johnsons After Moss is coated in calcium carbonate which raises the pH of the soil for you. This fast-establishing dwarf perennial ryegrass mix, is deep rooting and dense and will help deter the return of moss.

Get Handy!

Exercises that use your hands will improve your strength and dexterity. Tasks like weeding your lawn will improve both your grip and the overall look of your hands. Once the weeds are cleared, Johnsons Lawn Thickener is the perfect tonic for tired lawns and rectifying bare patches. The innovate Seedbooster® technology sees each individual grass seed wrapped in its own parcel of fast and slow release nitrogen based fertiliser, which not only promotes the seeds germination and establishment rates even further, but also causes more offshoots and a denser lawn with 30% more grass

Free your mind

After a stressful day and constant use of electronic gadgets, there is nothing more satisfying getting back to nature and kicking off your shoes and walking barefoot on grass in the summer months to rejuvenate your senses and calm the mind. In fact, studies have shown that walking barefoot strengthens and stretches the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your feet, ankles and calves and keeps your posture upright. The calming effects, both psychological and emotional benefits of a green garden are clear to see. Being in a peaceful and serene garden can also give you a sense of purpose, a place to relax and something to be proud of. To achieve a velvety, green carpet underfoot, Johnsons Quick Lawn combines a superb fine leaved appearance with excellent wear tolerance and it benefits from the special seed dressing Accelerator. Applied to grass seed, Accelerator attracts beneficial bacteria in the soil to the grass roots to further the establishment. Accelerator is child and pet friendly so you can chill out in your garden and enjoy the company of loved ones around you.

Sow and grow with others

Whether you prefer small, intimate gatherings or you’re more of a social butterfly, we all enjoy spending time around our friends. Our gardens become a hub for barbecues, parties and outdoor games taking place over summer, whilst being outdoors boosts our moods which is vital for both our mental and physical health. Being in a beautiful garden can make people feel comfortable and at ease, increasing social interaction. To make sure your lawn is hard wearing for such activities, Johnsons Tuffgrass with dog patch resistance, is popular choice for a hard-wearing lawn, providing good green cover and weed control with resistance against substantial wear and tear.