Image credit: tvman - part of my vegetable garden
Members of the Community have been talking a lot about gardens and gardening.
If you’re struggling with cancer, or the effects of cancer treatment, you might benefit from gentle activity around the garden, or simply just sitting in nature. It’s often said that the physical activity of gardening is beneficial to both the body and mind.
Whether you have your own garden, you’re in a gardening group or have access to a community garden, you might find there are health benefits to getting outside.
Let’s have a look at some of the conversations about gardens and gardening from across the Online Community.
Community member tvman regularly shares the benefits of gardening through regular updates about his fruit and vegetable growing in the gardens and gardening thread in the 'living with incurable cancer - patients only' forum. We have used a photo from Tvman's amazing fruit and vegetable garden to accompany this blog.
Others respond with tales from their own garden spaces.
Although our 'living with incurable cancer forum' is only available to members with an incurable cancer diagnosis, there is a space for everyone to talk about anything that interests you in our Express Yourself forum.
Member Nan3942 shared how they find gardening therapeutic and that they like to get out as often as possible despite many challenges.
Chatting about your hobbies in the Express Yourself forum can help you connect with others across the Online Community through shared experiences. It's good to talk about things you like to do.
Spending time in the garden can also be a way for some people to remember loved ones, or to help with healing through a bereavement.
You can also talk about spending time in the garden with people with a similar cancer diagnosis across the forums you've joined. In our bladder cancer forum, members check in with each other regularly and share their experiences of life, including how they spend time in the garden.
Members have also been talking about gardens in the breast cancer forum and the gallbladder cancer forum, in addition to many other forums across the Community.
If you have cancer, particularly if you’re going through treatment that affects your immune system, you might need to take extra precautions when working in the garden. Ask your cancer doctor or nurse if you’re unsure.
Even if it’s just using the garden for a mindful moment, it can be a really important factor in your resilience.
In the Community’s Spring Picture Festival in the Community's Express Yourself forum lots of members have been sharing images of gardens and local nature. You would be welcome to join in and share your Spring photos.
We introduced this years photo challenge in a recent Community News Blog here.
Would you like to connect with others to talk about gardening, gardens or even just getting out and about in nature? Why not start a new thread in your forums? It can be comforting to be able to talk about things you love and there might be others who will benefit from the conversation.
Want to share your garden photos, or other images of Spring? Go to the Community’s Spring Picture Festival thread.
If you haven't any of your own photos to share, why not have a look through other member's images? You can click on the reaction button to offer a 'like' or 'love'.
In partnership with Macmillan, the National Garden Scheme gives visitors unique access to over 3,600 private gardens in England and Wales.
Find out more: National Garden Scheme
There are also resources around gardening to exercise body and mind:
Macmillan leaflet - Why gardening is good for you.
If you have any questions or need further support, you can comment below or email the Community team at community@macmillan.org.uk
