Gulnara Mamirkulova, Rashid Menhas
Background As modern urbanization, digitalization, and technological progress increasingly separate people from their natural environment, engaging with nature to improve residents’ wellbeing is becoming an increasingly challenging task. Purpose By applying the most accessible therapeutic effect of gardening, our study aims to explore how the frequency of gardening activities and leisure orientation contribute to attachment to the activity. In turn, attachment to an activity increases mental wellbeing and reduces stress levels. Our case study was conducted in the developing urban area of Shymkent in Kazakhstan. Methods Using snowball sampling, we surveyed 210 urban residents, of whom 135 were gardeners and 75 were non-gardeners. The survey measured gardening frequency, leisure orientation, activity attachment, mental wellbeing and perceived stress. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post hoc tests. Results The results show that Frequent gardening ( β = 0.225, p = 0.004) and perceiving it as a leisure activity ( β = 0.209, p = 0.009) were associated with stronger attachment to gardening, which was linked to higher reported mental wellbeing ( β = 0.256, p < 0.001) and lower perceived stress (β = 0.241, p < 0.001). Attachment partially mediated the relationship between gardening engagement and mental health outcomes. ANOVA indicated that participants who gardened regularly reported higher mental wellbeing than those who did not, with the most notable associations observed among individuals who gardened at least twice a week. Conclusion Participants who garden report higher mental health and lower stress levels, especially when gardening frequently with leisure motivation and a sense of attachment. To create healthier cities, public health and urban planning initiatives should promote access to leisure gardening activities and develop future green gardening tourism initiatives.