A new online wellbeing studio has been launched to provide a resource dedicated to people, plants and positive wellbeing.

Launched on Blue Monday (18 January), the day claimed to be the most depressing of the year, the studio offers a wealth of resources to help beat the blues, not just in January, but throughout the year.

The studio has a variety of categories, from gardening, food, crafts, books and home, to studio sessions, always with plants and wellbeing at the core. Visitors to the virtual studio will find inspirational stories on a range of topics including gardening for wellbeing, how to better appreciate nature walks and how to use herbs and plants for good health, all contributed by passionate experts in the field. There is also a ‘products’ section, where people can meet the sellers of exceptional, hand-picked items and receive exclusive discounts.

The studio has been created by Ellen Mary, an expert in wellbeing and in particular how nature and gardening can improve both physical and mental health. Ellen has been recognised as one of the Top 5 Women Influencers in Horticulture, and has previously given talks on wellbeing at events such as RHS Chelsea, RHS Chatsworth, Blenheim Palace Flower Show, Vegfest UK, and The Handmade Festival as well as talks in garden centres, local garden groups and for individual companies such as Peter Beale’s Roses and has also filmed for the Royal Horticultural Society and been featured in The Times, BBC News and appeared on US TV. Ellen has studied RHS level 2 principles of horticulture, social and therapeutic horticulture, cognitive behaviour therapy and is also studying wellness coaching, so is able to provide holistic wellbeing guidance with plants and nature at the core and is a true expert on the subject.

Ellen decided to create the online resource following the success of a series of webinars she launched in summer 2020 which explored how and why we are connected to the natural world, tackling subjects such as “Plants & Nature for Wellbeing”, “Plants for Women's Wellbeing” and “Growing your own for a Plant Based Diet”.

“The past year has been tough for everyone, and the isolation that many people have faced as a result of Coronavirus has had a huge effect on mental health and wellbeing. I know first-hand the positive effects of connecting to nature and I want to help others regain and develop this connection,” commented Ellen.

She continued: “I was delighted by the success of my webinars last year, and it really highlighted to me how much people are longing to get out and enjoy gardening, nature and growing their own food, and to reap the wellbeing benefits of it. I want to help facilitate this reconnection with the natural world to make it easier for everyone, no matter their situation, to benefit from developing a positive relationship with nature, and hope that the launch of the studio will provide an accessible way to do this.”

Access to the studio and all the materials on it is entirely free.

To access the Wellbeing Studio, visit https://www.ellenmarygardening.co.uk/wellbeing-studio