When I was expecting my first baby I became a gardener. It was part of the nesting instinct. I wanted my baby to have a nice garden. Since then I’ve had several gardens but even now I’m passionate about it. Turns out I was doing myself a favour, because gardening is linked to improved thinking skills in older age. A Scottish study has examined the lifestyles of hundreds of older adults and found those who spend time gardening have better cognitive function in later life than those who don’t