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How can we show the benefits of gardening for mental health?

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This is how to organize a seed swap and plant-sharing event that helps people (including yourself) get seeds for free. Includes ideas for booking a venue, sponsors, donations, and reaching people with news of the event.

This is the tenth year I've organized a community seed swap, and our last event was the best we've had. We had over a hundred people attend, and countless seeds, bulbs, and plants were shared among them. I don't think anyone left without something new to grow and a smile on their face. That's why I'm sharing tips for how you can organize a seed swap for your own community. It's a great way to help people garden inexpensively and reduce seed waste.

A seed swap is an opportunity for gardeners to organize their seed collections and get rid of the ones they don't want. They can also use the event to get new seeds that they do want to grow. In all, it's a win-win for gardeners and reduces wastage and cost. Our event is about giving seeds a chance to grow, saving money on buying new seeds, creating an opportunity to pick up new varieties, and making the event a social gathering where gardeners can talk about all things green and growing.

I think the reason that our own event is so successful is that we've had years to perfect it. Each year has been great, but it's now a well-oiled machine. We know the best way for people to interact and share seeds, how to find the people who'd like to come, and how to make the event free. We actually finished up on Sunday with over £300 without asking visitors to pay for an entrance or participation fee! I remember planning for the first seed swap, though, and trying to find tips on how to run one. It was hard to find detailed information, so I wanted to share 12 tips on how we run ours.

Although there are virtual seed swaps now, these tips are specifically for organizing an in-person swap. As with all events these days, ensure that you provide a safe venue and processes that comply with health and safety measures in your region.

1. Get Friends to Help

The entire idea of a seed swap is to get people together to share resources. This starts in the planning stage, so form an event committee with gardening pals or members of gardening associations and clubs. You can arrange to meet in person to organize the event or schedule Zoom meetings. The benefits of organizing a seed swap with others include:

A greater network of potential contacts and people to invite

Fresh ideas for organizing and running the day

More people to help spread the word and market the event

More people to help out on the day

Making the swap a fun and community-focused event

Every year, we've booked the same venue and have a great relationship with the society that runs it. It's a community hall, but if you're looking for a venue, other ideas include churches, sports clubs, private club rooms, the back room of a pub, and private homes. You could even run the event outdoors, in a barn, or under a gazebo or event tent. Outdoor and airy venues can be better, but if you're planning a seed swap during the winter, it may be less viable.

Our indoor venue is a comfortable space with plenty of parking, the opportunity for refreshments, and a reasonable room hire fee. One of the benefits of keeping the same venue every year is that people become familiar with it. We have visitors that come every year, and they know exactly where to go and park each time.

Our event is always on a Saturday or Sunday since more people will be able to attend. It begins in the afternoon, and the event lasts around two hours, with the busiest time being the first hour. Over the years, we've hosted the event in late winter and early spring, with the latter being more successful. April is a great time for a seed swap since people bring in seeds but also excess seedlings and plants.

3. Decide a Sharing/Swapping Method

In my experience, it can be awkward and inefficient for strangers to have to swap seeds with each other directly. Some of this does happen at our event, but the main way that people share seeds is through organized bins.

When people come in the door, tell them how the event works: organize the seeds you've brought with you into the bins provided - they're labeled with 'Brassicas', 'Root veg', 'Herbs', 'Flowers', and even 'Random'. As you move around the circular area where the bins are located, feel free to browse what's already there and take what you need. For people without seeds to share, there's a donation bucket in the middle of the table. The suggested donation is 50p for a full packet of seeds.

Other methods might work, but this is the best way we've found for ordinary gardeners. These are people who'd like to attend without any commitment to having to set up a stall or haggle with individuals over seeds and plants. It's based on the honor system, and in the five years we've run the swap, we've had no issues with anyone taking advantage.

4. Make the Event Free

Everyone likes a free event where you can leave with free things! By not charging an entrance fee, you'll have more people attend, and more people mean more seeds. There are other ways to make money if you need to pay for the room hire or are running the event as a fundraiser.

The main way we include sponsors in our event is by asking for them to donate raffle prizes. In the week leading up to the event, I let everyone know on our Facebook event what each prize is, and it creates a good build-up to the big day. This year, we had donations of free seeds, compost, a wormery composter, an aromatherapy massage, an apple tree, and vouchers to a local plant nursery.

Other ways sponsors can be involved include funding the room or room hire, advertising sponsorships, and sponsoring seeds to share at the swap itself.

6. Organize a Seed Swap Raffle

A seed swap raffle is part fundraiser and part entertainment and can be a major highlight of the event. At ours, we charge £1 per raffle ticket and draw winners thirty minutes before the end of the event. If the person isn't there when the raffle winners are drawn, you can ring them and tell them to pick up the item. We also ask for people who attend the seed swap to bring a prize to the raffle. It could be a pair of gardening gloves, a bottle of wine, chocolate, or gardening books.

7. Donation Buckets

Aside from the donation bucket we place on the seed swap table, we also have a bucket in the refreshments area. It's based on the honor system again, and we ask for a small donation towards any cake/coffee they serve themselves or for seeds if they didn't bring anything to share. We don't write a suggested donation on the bins, but if anyone asks, it's 50p and left to their discretion. Most of the time, people donate more, though, and this is a great way to raise money for your community garden or a favorite charity.

8. Invite People to Attend the Seed Swap

Getting the word out that you're having the event is one of the trickiest parts of the entire event. How do you reach the people who you think would like to come? Here's how we do it:

Design a low-ink poster that can be easily printed at home. Print it on colored paper and share it on notice boards, in cafes, at your work, and at your church. Tape it inside your car window, and ask local businesses to post it up, too.

Contact the newspaper or radio station to feature a story on the event. You can also advertise in the classifieds, submit event information to online 'local events' listings. I've gone on the radio in years past and have also featured the event in columns that I've written.

Create a Facebook event and then invite every gardener you know. Ask them to invite their friends too! This year, I also sponsored the event for £5 to reach out to local people who liked the topic 'Gardening' on Facebook

Blog and post about the event on social media. If you don't have a big following, consider getting in touch with a local gardening writer or influencer.

Email gardening societies to ask if they could please forward the event info to their members.

Get in touch with everyone who has attended a past seed swap event - more on that below.

9. Sign-in Sheet and Mailing List

If people have come to a seed swap before and enjoyed themselves, they'll likely want to come back again. What I do to contact these people each year is to:

Collect email addresses from people who attend as they walk in the door. However, be clear that you're using their email for a mailing list.

Save the email addresses in a free newsletter app such as Mailchimp. Such applications will allow you to easily create nice-looking newsletters and send them to everyone on your list. It also makes it easy for people to unsubscribe if they'd like. Our sign-ups receive two or three emails per year.

10. Entertainment for the Seed Swap

Depending on your crowd, you should consider entertainment. Last year, we had local musicians play and it created a lovely atmosphere. We also had a children's craft area where kids could color or create seed pots out of newspaper. I'd consider the raffle as entertainment as well since everyone has a look at the prizes, and some get very excited to win items!

11. Refreshments for the Event

You don't walk around the seed table once at our event. You come back for a browse every now and again as people come in the doors and leave. To create a more social atmosphere, have a space set aside for sitting down (also great for people with disabilities or who tire easily) and offer refreshments. This could be in the form of cakes, warm drinks, popcorn, or other easily-served nibbles.

The organizers of our event always try to bring something with them, and visitors will bring cakes in, too. Don't be afraid to ask people to help out in that way! This year someone brought in a huge crate of salad greens he'd harvested from his polytunnel that morning. Many people had a nibble, and I took home a bag to serve up at lunch the next day.

12. There will always be leftover seeds!

You'd think people would come in with a few packets and maybe leave with more than they brought. In our experience, it's the opposite, and this year, we had enough leftover packets to fill a shoebox, aside from about ten jars of self-saved seed.

Finding a cause to donate the seeds to will make your event even more part of the community landscape. In years past, we've donated them to a community farm and to a church gardening program. This year we're saving some to give away at a gardening event later in the year, but we're also considering donating some to a community garden that's just started up in a neighboring town.

Ways to Save Money in the Garden

I hope these tips will be useful to you and that more seed swaps are organized in communities large and small right across the world! Watch the video above to see what our most recent seed swap was like, and if you'd like more ideas for reducing waste and costs in the garden, check out these other ideas:

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12 Useful Tips for Organizing a Seed Swap

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How to organize a seed swap and plant sharing event that helps people get seeds for free. Includes ideas for booking a venue, sponsors, donations, and reaching people with news of the event.

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Looking for a way to improve your mental health and well-being? Try starting a garden. With the onset of May and mental health month awareness in full swing, there is no better time to connect with nature and enjoy the outdoors. Here's why.
Gardening is a fantastic hobby that has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood, and promote relaxation.

And with mental health month awareness in full swing, there's no better time to start planting the seeds of your own mental health and wellness.

Whether you are in a great headspace or not, there are lots of really good reasons you should dig in the dirt and start growing things.

We go through different seasons of life. And as we transition through the good times and bad, it's really important to have something that grounds you. Something that keeps you feeling balanced and centered that reduces stress and anxiety.
Do you have that thing that you just absolutely love to do?
If you don't, I want you to consider starting a garden and maybe reframe your thinking about it being "unpleasant work". Because it is really so much more.

Growing a garden doesn't have to be a big grand bed of flowers or vegetables. It can simply be one, two, or even a few plants that bring you joy and connect you more with the beauty of nature, and awakens your creativity.

And if you are in the same season of life as me, making the transition from the caregiver of children to an empty nester, and looking for what's next?
It can be rough!
Doing something you love and enjoy is key to navigating the stress and anxiety of that journey. If you don't know what that is and I know there are many of you that don't, start small and try growing some plants and flowers.

It is a life-changing experience that you won't regret, regardless of the season of life you are in.

(Posts on stacyling.com may contain affiliate links. Click HERE for full disclosure.)

10 Ways Starting a Garden Can Boost Your Mental Health This May

There is no better time than now to get started growing a garden.

It's springtime and everything is new. The nurseries are stocked up with beautiful flowers, vegetables, and herbs. And it's a time where we are thinking more about mental health month awareness.

Of course, you can start gardening any day, any time of the year too. But to me, spring is the most wonderful time of year because it is fun to kick around and check out all the new arrivals.

Whether you want to bring more plants and flowers into your life or not, consider ways you can weave them in so it has more purpose.

Because once you get started, trust me, you'll keep going.

For example, if you love to cook, make a small herb garden where you can pick your own herbs. Or maybe start some raised garden beds where you can grow vegetables and edible flowers.

There are lots of ways one can make that connection with growing a garden. Here are 10 ways that starting a garden can change your life and boost mental wellness.

Connect with nature

Physical activity

Sense of accomplishment

Mindfulness practice

Social connection

Creative outlet

Learn new skills

Fresh air and sunlight

Reduce stress

Improve nutrition

Mental Health Month Awareness: Why Gardening is Good for the Soul

As a self-taught gardener with over 25 years of experience, I can attest to the fact that gardening is not just a hobby, beautifying your spaces, or a way to grow your own food.

It's an experience that can change your life, heal your soul, and fill your heart with joy.

Learning how to garden has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done in my life, and I want to share with you why I think you should give it a try.

Particularly if you haven't found that thing you enjoy doing just yet.

Gardening is Fun

First of all, gardening is fun! There's nothing quite like the feeling of digging in the dirt and watching your plants grow.

Whether you're planting a few vegetables or creating a beautiful flower garden, gardening is a creative outlet that allows you to express yourself in a way that's both beautiful and productive.

You can experiment with different colors, textures, and plant combinations to create a space that's uniquely yours.

But it is also a great way to reduce stress and promote relaxation. When you're in the garden, you are surrounded by nature. It is a good break from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Gardening has been shown to lower cortisol levels, which is the hormone associated with stress. This means that spending time in the garden can help you feel calmer and more relaxed, which can improve your overall mood and well-being.

Garden Therapy

Gardening requires concentration and focus, which can be a form of meditation that promotes mindfulness and relaxation.

When you're out in the garden listening to the sound of the birds, you feel a sense of peace and tranquility that's hard to find anywhere else.

There's just something about being in the fresh air and sunshine that helps you forget your troubles and find inner peace.

Gardening has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, making it an excellent way to improve your mental health. It is also a great way to get through everyday stress and the difficult seasons of life.

When you're going through a tough time, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and hopeless.

But when you're in the garden, you're reminded that there's always hope and new growth around the corner.

Whether you're planting a new seed or watching an old plant come back to life, there's always something to look forward to in the garden. You can set small goals, achieve them, and try new things.

There were times when as a young mother with three kids, the stress from caring for a child that cried all the time was tremendous.

Finding those peaceful moments in the garden among my flowers was priceless for keeping me grounded and helping me get through those difficult days.

Learning Something New

Starting a garden can be a learning experience that introduces you to new skills and knowledge, which can boost confidence and self-esteem.

if you are just starting out, you are learning a whole new hobby and way of life.

But if you are more experienced than that? You will find yourself trying new things to grow. Or learning how to do things differently.

Maybe you are working with new-to-you plants and styles of gardening. Learning from mistakes and tweaking things so you can try them again.

I've been gardening for over 25 years and became a master gardener and I can tell you for a fact that I am STILL learning new things today.

It is amazing to try new things, learn and grow over and over...and over again. It never gets old and is truly a rewarding experience.

Feeling Accomplished

One of the reasons gardening is so good for mental health is that it provides a sense of purpose and accomplishment.

When you plant a seed, nurture it, and watch it grow into a beautiful plant, you're reminded that you're capable of creating something beautiful and meaningful.

This sense of accomplishment can boost your self-esteem and confidence, which can help alleviate feelings of depression and anxiety.

You'll Get Stronger and Feel More Fit

Gardening is a great form of exercise that can help reduce anxiety and depression by releasing endorphins.

From hauling plants around to lifting heavy bags of soil, you can get a good workout in the garden if you really wanted to.

Of course, there are ways to not exert yourself so much too, but gardening can be a great activity that not only reduces stress and boosts the mood, but helps you get fit and strong too.

Be More Creative

Gardening is a creative outlet that allows you to express yourself through plant selection, design, and aesthetics.

I can't tell you how much fun it is to go to the garden nursery and play around with different flowers and foliage with varying heights and textures.

Sometimes I'll grab plants and arrange them on the cart in aesthetically pleasing ways, focusing on the shape of the flowers and the color of the foliage.

You can really get lost in it where you think about nothing else and whatever was dogging your mental health just melts away.

Improves Overall Health

Spending time outside in the fresh air and sunlight helps combat seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and improve overall mood.

But getting more fresh air and sunlight is just good for your overall health, let alone the mental aspect of it.

Just think of all that good vitamin D you are absorbing spending more time outdoors which helps the body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus which is important for bone health.

Studies have also shown that vitamin D can boost your immunity and reduce cancer cell growth, help control infections and reduce inflammation.

Spending time outside in the sun can also have a positive effect on mood and mental health by increasing the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, appetite, and sleep.

In addition to vitamin D and mood regulation, being outside in fresh air can also improve your physical health by providing your body with more oxygen. This can improve healthy lung function.

Connecting and Community

You're learning to appreciate the natural cycles of life and death, and you're cultivating a sense of gratitude for the earth and all its gifts.

There's something truly special about being able to eat food that you've grown yourself or cutting the flowers that you started indoors in the middle of winter from seed, knowing that it's healthy and nourishing for both your body and your soul.

But it's even more than that.

Whether you're growing vegetables in a community garden or sharing plants and tips with friends and neighbors, gardening can be a social activity that helps you feel more connected to others.

This sense of connection can help alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation, which are common contributors to poor mental health.

You Don't Need a Big Garden to Get Started

One of the great things about gardening is that you can grow a garden in any size or space. Even if you don't have a yard, you can still grow plants in containers or window boxes.

If you live in an apartment, you can create a small balcony garden or grow herbs on your kitchen windowsill.

No matter where you live or how much space you have, there's a way to incorporate gardening into your life.

All you need is the interest and desire to begin.

Start Gardening for Mental Health Month Awareness

Learning how to garden is an experience that can change your life for the better. It's fun, therapeutic, and really good for the soul.

If you're looking for a way to connect with nature, improve your mental health, and find some inner peace, I encourage you to give gardening a try.

You don't need any special skills or equipment to get started, just a willingness to get your hands dirty and a desire to try something new.

So what are you waiting for? Dig in!

Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk

In July 2007, I lost one of my lifelong best friends to suicide. We grew up together. Got married together. Raised our kids together.
It was devastating for everyone.
Her daughter is walking 17 miles in honor of her mom on June 3, 2023, in Washington D.C. for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Net proceeds will help those affected by suicide and mental health conditions by supporting research, advocacy, survivor resources, education, and awareness programs.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has set a bold goal to reduce the suicide rate by 20% by the year 2025.

If you or someone you know has been affected by suicide, please consider supporting Brianna's walk. To donate to this incredible cause, please click here.

Shop At Homecoming

My daughter Mackenzie works at an amazing store in Chester, New Jersey, called Homecoming. It is a mental health shop offering products and activities that support mental health needs.

If you are local, drop by and check out their merch.

And if you're not local? You can also shop here online too.

More About Gardening for Mental Health

Have you been gardening a long time or are you just getting started? Do you find joy digging in the dirt too? I would love to know more in the comments below.

And don't miss joining my Gardening DIY and Decorating Community on Facebook for more chatter. And follow along there and on Instagram as well. There are behind-the-scenes daily things that I share on Instagram that don't make it to the blog. Would love to see you there too!

If you prefer to binge-watch Bricks 'n Blooms on TV, we go more in-depth with tours and posts on my YouTube channel. Would love to hang out with you there!

And ... If you're catching up on blog posts you may have missed, be sure to to get my newest posts via email to stay up to date with everything that's happening here on the blog and more.

Want to Learn More About Flower Gardening?

If you love flowers and want to grow more in your garden, here are some posts that will get you on your way.

From tucking in flowering plants that are deer-resistant or ones that attract more butterflies and hummingbirds, to shade-loving flowers like the lenten rose, these posts will get you on your way to growing a garden that will bring joy for years to come.
Here are more cut flower and cottage garden growing tips, tricks, and design inspiration.

Garden Supplies I Use

I'm often asked about the garden supplies and tools that I use most. From pruners to deer repellents, here are some of my favorites in no particular order.

I use good-quality , and when planting. And if I'm gardening in containers, I use this .

I have used with great success. But now, I'm all about instead of topical. This means the plant takes it in as opposed to it just smelling bad.

This is my . You can use it to get underneath roots, loosen soil, and it cuts down on the weeding time because you work much faster.

But I also love to really get around roses and other plants from afar.

I like to use for roses because the blooms are more prolific.

You'll need a when working with plants and flowers. I buy a few so I can stash them around.

Where pest and disease problems are concerned, I generally use this or to help control infestations depending on the issue.

This is my favorite set-and-forget for houseplants, annuals, and container gardens.

Whenever I stake my peonies or other plants, I generally use because they work really well and keep the blooms upright.

Sign Me Up!

Sign up for my free newsletter to get blog posts, seasonal tips, recipes, and more delivered straight to your inbox!

Plus, get free VIP access to my Resource Library where you'll find insider freebies not readily available to the public.

Thank you so much for following along. Enjoy a beautiful day! xo

About Me

Want to learn more about me? I'm a master gardener who's been gardening and growing things for over 25 years and author of the best-selling book, The Bricks 'n Blooms Guide to a Beautiful and Easy-Care Flower Garden. Get the inside scoop about my background as a master gardener, education, and experience, as well as why I started blogging here.

Let's Connect!

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7 Reasons Why Starting a Garden is Good For You

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Start a Garden for Mental Health Month Awareness

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Looking for a way to improve your mental health and well-being? Try starting a garden. With the onset of May and mental health month awareness in full swing, there is no better time to connect with nature and enjoy the outdoors. Here's why.