Older growers could benefit from garden activity

A new Dutch survey has found that people aged over 60 who grow their own fruit and vegetables are noticeably healthier than those who do not.

BioMed Central’s Environmental Health journal reported that those with allotments benefit from increased levels of physical activity and better wellbeing.

Commenting on the findings, Grow Your Own magazine editor Lucy Halsall explained that the range of motion involved in garden and greenhouse activities could indeed be beneficial for older people.

"You want to be tending your crops fairly regularly, so gentle digging, weeding, sowing, bending and stretching keeps people supple – they are the main activities that you do on the allotment and that must be good for people’s health," she said.

Ms Halsall added that many of the magazine’s subscription holders do not even own their own garden and greenhouse.

She revealed that a lot of growers improvise with things like hanging baskets and window boxes.