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Greenfulness

workshops, experiences and gatherings with greenery

Greenfulness is a programme of workshops, experiences and gatherings with greenery at Grąbczewski family nurseries in Runów, near Warsaw.

We use close contact with plants as a practical, horticultural-therapy-inspired way of supporting the mental wellbeing of children, adolescents and adults.

Participating in our programmes can help people return to balance after stress and overload, restore attention, strengthen a sense of agency and create conditions that support relationships. We treat contact with nature as an accessible part of prevention and everyday care for wellbeing – before overload turns into crisis.

This is not just about looking at plants, walking on grass or resting under trees. Greenfulness means putting your hands in the soil, planting, transplanting, gathering, smelling and touching plants – and being together in the company of living nature.

At Grąbczewski family nurseries, greenery is not decoration. It is our everyday environment of work, experience and life. For generations we have known that growth needs the right conditions: light, space, time and care. This applies to more than just plants.

Wellbeing is our field – and we grow it.

Why does contact with nature support
mental health?

A growing body of research suggests that regular contact with greenery can support mental wellbeing, attention restoration and recovery from stress. It does not replace therapy or medical treatment, but it can be a valuable part of prevention and everyday care for balance – for children, adolescents and adults.

80%
of gardeners report improved mental wellbeing after regular work with plants
(Royal Horticultural Society, survey of 6,000 people)
Contact with plants can support wellbeing - not just provide momentary relief.
–12% cortisol
after 30 minutes of gardening - in the study, the decrease was greater than after 30 minutes of reading indoors
(RCT, Van den Berg & Custers, Wageningen University, Journal of Health Psychology 2011)
Gardening can help the body return to balance after stress.
1,6×
higher likelihood of reporting good wellbeing among adults spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature
(White et al., Scientific Reports 2019, ~20,000 people, University of Exeter)
Two hours of nature a week is a realistic threshold that can fit into everyday life.
by 1/3
lower risk of mental disorders in adulthood among people who grew up surrounded by the most greenery - compared with those who had the least
(Engemann et al., PNAS 2019, over 900,000 Danes)
Regular contact with greenery in childhood may matter for mental health later in life.

How does wellbeing from greenery work?

A natural environment engages attention gently, without effort. The movement of leaves, light, the smell of earth, insects and plant textures allow the attention we spend on schoolwork, jobs and screens throughout the day to rest.

Contact with greenery can reduce physiological tension, support calming and make it easier to return to balance. Working with your hands gives a tangible result: I planted, I watered, we created. This strengthens a sense of agency.

Greenfulness does not replace diagnosis, psychotherapy or psychiatric treatment. It is an educational and preventive programme that can support wellbeing, attention restoration and the rebuilding of psychological resources – above all, before overload develops into a serious crisis.

What we offer?

workshops

Practical sessions for preschoolers, schoolchildren, families, adults and seniors. Participants get to know plants with all their senses, work with the soil, plant, transplant, create compositions and observe the life of the nursery. Workshops combine nature education with movement, creativity, mindfulness, cooperation and emotional awareness.

We do not just teach about nature. We let you truly experience it.

experiences

Greenfulness engages the senses with what they were originally made for: reading signals from nature. Time with nature can help us slow down, take a break from excess stimulation and give body and mind space to rest.

gatherings

Greenfulness is also a chance to spend time together: meeting friends, family or your team, talking among plants and resting from screens. Greenery creates natural conditions for deepening relationships – without organising yet another activity.

Four dimensions of Greenfulness

1.

Mental health

Calming, attention restoration, tension regulation, sense of agency and prevention of overload.
2.

Movement and body contact

Walking, bending, planting, carrying, walking on grass and natural outdoor activity.
3.

Microclimate and environment

Shade, water retention, reduced overheating, capturing some pollutants, observing a living ecosystem and becoming more aware of how we affect it.
4.

Relationships

A shared task, conversation, meeting and experience that helps build bonds.

Greenfulness workshops are designed for:

preschools
schools
adults
families
groups of friends
teams and organisations
We tailor the programme, duration and character of the meeting to the age of participants, the needs of the group and the season.

Frequently asked questions about Greenfulness

Does Greenfulness replace therapy?

No. Greenfulness is an educational and preventive programme. It does not replace diagnosis, psychotherapy or psychiatric treatment. It can, however, support mental wellbeing, mindfulness and attention restoration – especially during periods of increased tension and overload.

How is Greenfulness different from a regular gardening workshop?

A gardening workshop teaches about plants and horticultural techniques. Greenfulness combines this knowledge with mindfulness, sensory contact and thinking about wellbeing – drawing on the principles of horticultural therapy. We design our sessions around what happens with participants’ focus, emotions and relationships, not only the knowledge about plants they take home.

Where do the workshops and gatherings take place?

At Grąbczewski family nurseries in Runów (Piaseczno municipality), 25 km south of Warsaw. We run our sessions outdoors, in a working plant nursery, in direct contact with living nature.

Which age groups is the programme for?

We run workshops for preschoolers, primary- and secondary-school pupils, teenagers, adults and seniors. We adapt the programme, length of the meeting and working method to the age of participants, size of the group and season.

How do I book a workshop for a class, preschool or team?

Write to us at greenfulness@grabczewscy.com. We will agree on the date, topic and number of participants, plus logistical details – how to get here, group supervision and what to wear for time spent outdoors.

The Greenfulness team

Aneta Grużewska

Programme lead and workshop facilitator,
Greenfulness
Psychologist,
psychotherapist,
horticultural therapist

“To help others, I have always had to take good care of my own psychophysical condition. Visits to the plant nursery and work in my own little garden became my ritual for returning to balance - a state in which I could feel wonder again at what surrounds me. These experiences, combined with growing expertise in horticultural therapy, inspired me to create a programme of workshops and gatherings at Grąbczewski family nurseries - where we can consciously draw on all the good that comes from being with plants, working in the garden and experiencing the nature around us.”

Marta A. Zygadło

Greenfulness workshop coordinator,
Culture manager,
specialist in psychological safety

“For years I worked in film and theatre - as an actor, second assistant director and intimacy coordinator. Psychological safety, communication and emotional regulation have always been at the heart of my work. The pandemic changed the rhythm of my life - I moved to the countryside. That was when I first picked up ‘Shinrin-Yoku’ and first looked at the forest as a therapeutic space. Living surrounded by greenery changed the way I work, breathe and set priorities. I see Greenfulness workshops as a new tool - one that combines what I learned about safely guiding people through demanding processes with what nature itself has taught me. I want it to be an accessible, real way of regaining balance in a world that does not make balance easy.”
We develop the programme with specialists combining psychological, psychiatric, natural-science, educational and horticultural expertise. We also invite nursery growers, educators, gardeners, landscape designers and people working with health and the human relationship to nature to join our activities.

Greenfulness at Grąbczewski family nurseries

To walk on the grass.
To meet someone under a tree.
And, for a moment, to feel that we are part of something alive.
Sounds simple? Good. Not everything that works needs an app, a manual and a charger.

Come and visit us in Runów – for a workshop, a gathering or a bit of a green reset.