Pathways to nature in domestic gardens
Domestic gardens often comprise the largest land use in urban spaces. Little is known, about their potential to enhance biodiversity and re-nature urban areas. We conducted an exploratory study aimed to understand potential pathways to promoting nature and native biodiversity in domestic gardens from an environmental psychology perspective. The approach involved a preliminary pre-recruitment questionnaire (n = 90) and four qualitative focus groups (n = 12) with residents in Dublin, Ireland.
Key questions explored emotions relating to gardens, opinions about nature and biodiversity as well as aspects which encourage or discourage enhancing biodiversity in gardens. Four themes were uncovered:
- Individual emotional and experiential co-benefits from nature in gardens by avoiding disconnection.
- The garden setting as a nature facilitator through configurations and capabilities despite perceptions of gardening ‘work’.
- Social gardening identities embracing wilder garden types and collective approaches overcoming social judgement and shame.
- Potential for nature through learning infrastructure to align with nature experiences and narratives and efficacy of actions for nature.
The study concludes that transformational change could reframe Ireland’s 2million gardens as its biggest national / nature park through a more psychological approach to biodiverse gardens to appeal to different social gardening identities and garden types.
The study is currently undergoing peer-review publication. We will share the final paper when it has been published. Dr Christine Mullan-Jensen presented it at the ‘Living Green, Liveable Cities’ Research Symposium on 5th February 2024 at the International Horticultural Expo in Doha, Qatar organised by The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH).
