Jonathan was lucky to be alive after a severe stroke in 1999. Here, he shares his story, and explains how gardening has helped his recovery:
“Like many stroke survivors, I felt that everything I’d worked for or enjoyed had been taken away by the bleed in my brain. Those feelings of loss have influenced my wellbeing - I often feel low. Sometimes, the only way out of the darkness is to remember how far I’ve come.
“The stroke badly affected my right side. I had to learn to walk and talk again. It was a long, hard journey, spending months in the hospital trying to get back to normal life.
“I’d never been a keen gardener, but my wife, Joanne, and I saw an advert for an allotment and thought it would be a good way for me to get some exercise and fresh air. It was also something we could do as a family with our daughter Megan, who was only three when I had my stroke.
“My mood was low, and I was very negative. I didn’t know how I’d manage an allotment, or even if I could.
“Slowly, the garden took shape. As it did, I felt my mood improving. The fantastic views from the allotment, across to the Gateshead Angel and the County Durham coast, made me feel better.
“I adapted the garden to suit me. I have smaller, raised beds, so they’re less work to look after and I don’t need to stand and dig all the time. I use a kneeler and dig crops out of the soil with a trowel, which I find easier. We also have a summer house, where I can take breaks or shelter from the rain.
“Seeing the first shoots appearing from the soil made me feel good. I’d planted potatoes and cabbages, never expecting them to actually grow. I’d always thought gardening was a ‘dark art’ that only experienced gardeners could do. But here I was, growing food to put on the table!
“I’d felt guilty that I wasn’t able to do my full-time job as a journalist anymore. But digging potatoes, cabbages, beetroot and lettuces out the ground, and picking apples, gooseberries, raspberries and blackcurrants from the fruit bushes we planted, made me feel a success again.
“As well as saving us money on food, it also helps us to eat healthily, which is important for stroke recovery. Although over the years, we’ve learnt that it is possible to have too many potatoes!”
Interested in using gardening to help your recovery?
Find more information, watch ‘how to’ videos and chat to other stroke survivors on our online forum.
Stroke News magazine
This article is featured in the spring 2024 edition of our magazine, Stroke News. Subscribe to our future editions available in print, on audio CD, or via email.