Pamela Anderson has been keeping fans incredibly engaged with her celebrity renaissance, from her return to the screen in both The Last Showgirl and The Naked Gun, to her romance with Liam Neeson. Away from the glamour of the Hollywood spotlight, the 58-year-old enjoys a relatively quiet life at Arcady, her newly renovated seven-acre home in Ladysmith, Canada. In fact, she recently revealed in an interview that working on improving her immense home has helped her with her new start.
Speaking to Architectural Digest, she described Arcady as "where everything came back together for me". Pamela continued: "This whole new chapter? It started in the garden." The Canadian actress then explained how her love for gardening had started in childhood, but developed into a passion around the time of the pandemic. "When I moved home to restart," she said, "I instantly thought, I'm going to make an incredible garden."
For Pamela, the garden felt symbolic of her journey: "The garden is such a metaphor: you can replant your garden every year, rotate your crops. I started learning a lot about it and thought, 'This is how I want my life to be." After seven seasons of gardening and taking inspiration from some beloved Gardeners' World experts – "I love Monty Don, his videos and books," she told the publication – it has become something the actress is incredibly proud of.
Gardening can be useful in times of change
Many people, like Pamela, turn to gardening in times of change and use it for a reset, or to when they're starting a new chapter in their life; in fact, there are a lot of psychological benefits to doing so. Dr Elena Touroni, consultant psychologist and co-founder of The Chelsea Psychology Clinic, says that "Gardening offers a sense of grounding at times when life feels uncertain.
"Planting, nurturing and watching things grow can create stability and routine, which is especially comforting during periods of transition," she continues. "It's also symbolic. Caring for something new can mirror the idea of cultivating a fresh chapter in your life."
Gardening can support emotional well-being
The psychologist explains that time in nature, generally, has a "calming effect" on the nervous system, can encourage mindfulness and help boost self-esteem, especially when you begin to see tangible results from your thought, time and effort.
Dr Elena also explains that gardening gets us exposure to fresh air and daylight, and a chance to step away from the screens, adding: "It also fosters patience and acceptance, reminding us that growth takes time and that setbacks are part of the process. For many it brings a sense of connection to the natural world, to cycles of life and even to communities through shared gardening spaces."