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Gardening is ‘good for your health’

Cultivating crops in a garden or greenhouse is good for people's wellbeing, it has been claimed.

According to Health.com, working in an outside space can be a good way of relieving stress, with scientific studies providing the evidence to back this up.

The publication pointed out that recent research conducted in the Netherlands found that individuals who work in a garden for 30 minutes after a completing a difficult task have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol than people who read a book for the same length of time.

Working outside can also alleviate the symptoms of depression, the article continued.

It cited a Norwegian study, which revealed people who had been diagnosed with depressive illnesses experienced a measurable improvement in their condition after three months spending six hours a week growing flowers and vegetables.

Finally, gardening is good exercise, the story concluded.

"As a pleasurable and goal-oriented outdoor activity, gardening has another advantage over other forms of exercise: People are more likely to stick with it and do it often," it added.