The last year and the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly highlighted the importance of mental health, and the positive role that gardens can play: tens of thousands of people around the world have reported that horticulture has provided them with a close connection with nature, with the seasons, with the weather and with their own internal mindset. The second definition involves the ways that plants boost human health, whether it’s physical health, or mental health. Rosemary, for example, is adapted to the rocky sun-baked hillsides of the Mediterranean, whilst a Hosta likes shade, rich food, and lots of water. The biggest mistake that gardeners make is to try and force a plant to grow where it doesn’t want to grow, and not understanding what a plant needs in order to be healthy. Firstly, the way in which plants’ health is related to the environment in which they are growing. “I would define the term ‘plant health’ in two ways. Monty Don, British horticulture expert and FAO Goodwill Ambassador to promote the International Year of Plant Health., by Marsha Arnold
