A report by UK tool manufacturing giants Spear and Jackson has revealed that most gardeners are healthier, happier and suffer less from stress than those without green fingers says horticulturist Martin Fiddes.

The UK wide survey into our gardening habits has revealed that a whopping 66% of gardeners are generally happy, compared to 38% of non-gardeners - and it's not just the state of our minds which benefit, as the survey also discloses that 40% of us who garden claim to be healthy, compared to a paltry 11% of those without a horticultural slant.

Further details emanating from the report show that East Anglia is the gardening heartbeat of the country, with one in ten people out gardening every day - no wonder the Norwich Evening News carry full details of the report!

After being involved in both the commercial horticulture and grounds maintenance fields, it's clear to me that the physical effort it takes to garden - try mowing the lawn with a pedometer attached and you'll be staggered how far you walk - coupled with being outdoors and the glorious sights and shows nature regularly puts on, that we shoud be happy and healthy! Of course, there are many labour saving devices - such as well balanced tools and mechanised trimmers - on the market nowadays, allowing you can make gardening almost as leisurely as you like!