In this gentle and deeply grounding episode, Gabby talks to psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and bestselling author Sue Stuart‑Smith to explore the profound connection between gardening, nature, and our mental wellbeing. Drawing on her acclaimed book "The Well Gardened Mind", Sue reflects on her journey from clinical psychiatry into the therapeutic world of gardening, sharing powerful stories of people who have found healing, resilience, and renewed purpose through tending to plants.

Together, Gabby and Sue delve into the emotional and psychological benefits of reconnecting with the natural world. They discuss how gardening can soothe the nervous system, why sensory experiences in nature offer such deep comfort, and how even the smallest moments of green space can help us feel more regulated and grounded. Sue explains the symbolism and emotional power of flowers, the importance of community gardens in fostering connection, and the impact that modern screen culture and urban living have on our mental health.

This conversation isn’t about being a “good” gardener or having a perfect green thumb. It’s about remembering our innate relationship with nature and recognising that nurturing something living - even a single plant on a windowsill - can quietly nurture us in return. As Sue beautifully says, “When we work with nature outside us, we work with nature inside us.”

Whether you’re an experienced gardener or someone who has never planted a seed, this episode offers a calming reminder that nature is always available to support us. It’s a conversation about what it means to be human, to be rooted, and to rediscover the grounding power of the natural world.

Sue Stuart‑Smith is a psychiatrist, psychotherapist and the author of The Well Gardened Mind, a Sunday Times Bestseller that was named one of The Times’ 37 best books of 2020 and awarded Gardening Book of the Year by The Sunday Times. She originally studied English Literature at the University of Cambridge before qualifying as a doctor and spending many years working in the National Health Service, where she became the lead clinician for psychotherapy in Hertfordshire. Sue now teaches at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust in London and works as a consultant at DocHealth, a not‑for‑profit psychotherapeutic consultation service for doctors.

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