Ross Lee in his tropical-look garden in Gislingham, Suffolk Credit: Tony Buckingham The benefits to be gained from spending time in the garden have always been well-known to gardeners, but now the scientific community is finally weighing in on the positive effects that green space can have on our mental and physical health. In fact, recent research from Natural England, in partnership with the University of Exeter and the Royal Horticultural Society, found that people with access to a garden had higher psychological well-being than those without. And for many of us over the past year – kept at home during lockdown – this boost couldn’t be more apparent.