As people age, staying active, maintaining mental wellness and engaging with others become increasingly important. While there are many ways to lead a healthy lifestyle, one pastime stands out for its simplicity and accessibility: gardening. Laurel Mertz, M.A., a senior research analyst at Mather Institute, studies the wide array of physical and mental benefits gardening offers older adults. To explore these effects, she and her team surveyed more than 2,000 people aged 55 and better about the well-being outcomes they experience. “From our studies, we found older adults who garden enjoy physical and psychological benefits that create a sense of purpose, gratitude and life satisfaction,” Mertz explains. “Older adults are interested in ways to improve their wellness, and gardening is a secret way to achieve this goal.”