As a new gardening show is about to air, the Mental Health Foundation encourages New Zealanders to cultivate their gardening skills and improve their sense of wellbeing at the same time.

The Mental Health Foundation's Out of the Blue programme is proud to be sponsoring Get Growing with NZ Gardener, a new reality series hosted by celebrity gardener Lynda Hallinan. It features an Auckland family who will transform their backyard as they move towards a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

The show will screen on Prime television from Sunday January 10 and, over 10 episodes, will illustrate how even novice gardeners can grow their own food and become more self-sufficient. One of the episodes will focus on community gardening, which has the added wellbeing benefit of connecting people with a similar interest.

"We are very happy to be a sponsor of Get Growing with NZ Gardener," Judi Clements, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation says. "Gardening is good for your mental health. It can help you feel happier, healthier and more confident."

Why it's good to garden

v Joining a gardening club or community gardening project can help you connect with new people

v It can inspire you to take notice of the natural world around you

v Learning about plants keeps you discovering new things and regular gardening can help bring a new structure to your lifestyle

v Gardening gets you out in the fresh air and is a good form of physical exercise

v It's a good outlet for your creativity and is fun

v Growing veggies and herbs can encourage healthy eating

v You can give surplus veggies or cuttings to friends, family/whanau and neighbours as a gift, or trade them with produce from other people's gardening successes