Visit a healing oasis this Botanic Gardens Week

At a time when the pressures of life often seem relentless, a visit to a botanic garden is an opportunity to slow down and enjoy nature. This week, May 18-24, is Botanic Gardens Week, and the perfect time to drop in to a botanic garden near you for a dose of peace and calm.

At Wollongong Botanic Garden, a program of activities has been organised throughout the week. Events are structured around this year's theme of 'Where Your Health Grows.' I spoke with Sam Crosby, the Garden's education and outreach specialist, who has been coordinating the week's program.

Activities at Wollongong Botanic Garden

So far, Wollongong Botanic Gardens has hosted tai chi classes, and guided walks and buggy tours led by the Friends of Wollongong Botanic Garden, who volunteer at the Garden week in, week out.

Sam explained that there are still plenty of things to do this weekend, the last two days of Botanic Gardens Week. "As well as access to the self-guided Nature Fix trail, there are guided walks and buggy tours on both days," she said.

"And Sunday is an open day for Glennifer Brae, a forgotten part of the Botanic Gardens but perhaps also one of the most interesting parts."

The grand old manor at Glennifer Brae will host a display of bonsais, or miniaturised trees, organised together with Urimbirra Bonsai Society Wollongong.

On Sunday there’s also a range of kids activities, with a 'putty printing' workshop the highlight: this is a hands-on tactile art activity where children will take impressions of textures around the manor house and gardens, and use these to decorate cards.

Eton Gorge Theatre Company will be presenting their 'Step Back in Time' tours of Glennifer Brae, featuring historic personages associated with the Manor house and gardens. More information is available on the Botanic Gardens website.

Health benefits of botanic gardens

Beyond the activities planned for this week, visiting the Botanic Garden is good for wellbeing any day of the year.

There is a large and growing scientific literature on the health benefits of spending time in nature. These benefits include the physical fitness that comes from walking, weeding or gardening, and also psychological benefits such as lower reported levels of anxiety and rumination (a precursor to depression). The burgeoning field of 'nature prescribing' directs people to spend more time in nature so that they can enjoy these benefits.

Sam Crosby explained the unique offering of botanic gardens as places to pursue health and wellbeing: "They are super safe. They are cultivated landscapes, that are usually fenced, equipped with wayfinding signage, toilets and other facilities, so they make people feel safe. There are no dogs, no sport, no vehicles. And the landscapes themselves have been carefully designed: there are wellbeing benefits from well-designed places that offer views and curated plant diversity.

"So for those who aren’t rough and ready bushwalkers, it’s a safe space to go for a nature experience."

Sam pointed to the Garden's Nature Fix Wellness Walk, which provides a series of 24/7 self-guided experiences. "It’s a safe place to engage in mindfulness activation without worrying about snakes, trip hazards or other dangers. Botanic Gardens are very accessible and inclusive places for activations like these."

If you don't have time to get down to the Botanic Garden this week, a series of 'wellbeing prescriptions' is available on the Botanic Gardens Australian and New Zealand website that you can try out any time.

More information and references

• Wollongong Botanic Garden page on Botanic Gardens Week
• Willis K, Good Nature: The New Science of how Nature Improves Our Health. London, Oxford, New York, New Delhi, Sydney: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2024.