The Mental Health Benefits of Gardening (with Piccolo Seeds + TOYO Steel)

There’s something undeniably healing about getting your hands in the dirt. In the last few years, more people have turned to gardening for its mental health benefits, finding comfort, calm, and a sense of purpose in the simple act of tending to plants. In fact, people have been using gardening as a form of emotional and psychological therapy for centuries. It's worth exploring how even a small garden can provide so much joy.

Whether you're planting herbs on a windowsill or building a raised bed in your backyard, gardening offers more than just beautiful greenery and fresh ingredients. It's a mindful, intentional act that has deep scientific backing, and it’s something we love doing here at Twentyseven. 

The Mental Health Benefits of Gardening

Gardening has been proven to reduce stress, lower anxiety, and improve overall mood. Here’s why:

• Soil releases serotonin: Certain microbes found in soil (like Mycobacterium vaccae) can actually stimulate serotonin production in the brain. This feel-good chemical helps reduce anxiety and improve mood naturally.

• It reduces cortisol: Studies show that just 30 minutes of gardening can lower cortisol levels, which is the hormone associated with stress.

• Gardening is grounding: Being outdoors and engaging with nature helps regulate your nervous system, encourages mindfulness, and lets you connect with the world around you.

• It gives you a sense of purpose: Watching something grow (especially from a tiny seed) can be deeply rewarding and boost self-esteem.

• Boosts Vitamin D: Time in the sun helps your body produce Vitamin D, which plays a role in regulating mood and supporting immune function.

How You Can Start with Piccolo Seeds

Starting a garden doesn't have to be intimidating, you don’t even need a backyard! Our favourite brand, Piccolo Seeds, makes it easy (and beautiful) to grow your own herbs, vegetables, and edible flowers in small spaces.

Piccolo offers botanical cadeaux and thoughtfully curated seeds (our collection includes herbs, flowers, and teas) designed specifically for home and urban farmers. Whether you’re working with a full patio or just a single pot on your windowsill, Piccolo helps you grow a garden that fits your lifestyle.

Their seeds are:

• Non-GMO and high-quality for reliable, healthy growth
  
  Perfect for beginners
  

• Tailored for pots, containers, and urban environments
  

• Beautifully designed and packaged, ideal for gifting or treating yourself
  
  

Piccolo Seeds’ mission is to invite you to slow down, reconnect with nature, and take care of yourself from the ground up.

Twentyseven Tip: Organize Your Gardening Kit with a Toyo Steel Toolbox

Keep all your seeds and gardening tools together with the Toyo Steel Toolbox. Crafted in Japan from a single sheet of steel, it’s perfect for organizing your gardening essentials. Durable, minimalist, and easy to carry, this toolbox looks just as good in your kitchen as it does beside your raised bed.

Growing your own food and flowers isn’t just about sustainability or aesthetics, it’s one of our favourite forms of self-care.