Irish paper promotes gardening benefits

The Irish Independent has been extolling the virtues of getting out into the garden and the greenhouse.

Gardening can help with a number of modern issues such as stress over the cost of living and lack of exercise.

As the paper says, gardening is a great anxiety-buster and can also save you money.

"I see it all the time in peoples faces," gardening teacher Linda Fitzsimons told the newspaper.

"People come in all stressed and after a few hours working outdoors they look completely different, much healthier and more relaxed.

"Also if you spend a few hours at the weekend gardening, its time youre not out spending money."

Getting into the greenhouse and growing some healthy fruit and veg can help provide nutritious and cheap food for the family, while heavier work in the garden can be great exercise and help keep people in shape both physically and mentally.

A greenhouse can make gardening pleasurable even in the colder, wetter winter months.