Greener Fingers and Better Mental Health

Accessible wellbeing for everyone

While gardening offers powerful wellbeing benefits, not everyone can access them without support. That’s why we partnered with Thrive to create Cultivating Wellbeing - an app designed to make the therapeutic power of gardening more accessible, structured and impactful for those who need it most.

While the core app audience is people facing challenges like disability, poor health and social isolation, we knew we also had to reach healthcare professionals who can socially prescribe, NHS buyers and the general public.

Mapping journeys for such a diverse audience took creativity, empathy and a lot of iteration. We collaborated with Thrive every step of the way, workshopping responses to our range of in-depth user profiles. We quickly realised that personalisation was key, as it meant the app could be as meaningful as possible for as many people as possible.

Our thinking culminated in a highly customisable experience. The user tells the app how much access they have to green space and which days they’re able to focus on their wellbeing. In response, the app suggests thoughtful, manageable activities that can be added to a personal wellbeing plan. Longer-term activities are broken into achievable milestones that reflect natural cycles, making each step feel doable.

Growing green, healthy habits

Since launch, Cultivating Wellbeing has made a real difference. One of our core goals was to support positive behaviour change - gently, consistently and naturally - and we did this through carefully considered features and design choices.

One feature that surprised us with high levels of engagement is the reflective diary, where users can track emotions, progress and personal insights. From rating how they feel to noting small wins (like discovering how much joy comes from watering basil), these reflections help shape healthier habits.

Smart design - such as uplifting copy, intuitive navigation and playful visuals - guides users toward their next small step. Whether that’s a quick task, something to schedule, or a deeper resource, the app helps turn everyday moments into meaningful progress.

We also designed supportive nudges and reminders to keep users engaged, but we were careful to ensure this didn’t become an overwhelming experience - a key consideration when designing for people with mental health challenges. We built in safety features, such as automatically pausing nudges if the app isn’t used for two weeks.

Built by co-design

At Big Lemon, co-design isn’t a buzzword or a checkbox - it’s how we work. Every stage of development was shaped by user voices, ensuring the app evolved in ways that are authentic, inclusive and impact-driven. We don’t just ask users for feedback - we build with them, asking: What do you need this app to be? What should it do for you?

Workshops were central. They weren’t one-off events - they were ongoing spaces of co-creation that demanded careful attention to safeguarding, data protection and accessibility. Especially as we were designing alongside people with mental health conditions. Respect, empathy and dignity were our guiding principles.

Nourishing our collaboration with Thrive was also critical to the app’s success. A combination of weekly meetings and deep dive sessions led to a deep sense of unity between our teams. Obstacles were quickly explored and worked through, and the human warmth of the partnership infused decision making.

As we sought to improve and validate our work, we pushed ourselves further - applying to ORCHA (The Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Apps) not once, but twice. Even after passing the first time, we wanted to go deeper, integrating every piece of feedback to ensure the app was not only effective, but trusted. As a result, our second submission received ORCHA’s highest possible score and the app is now prescribable by healthcare professionals - a major milestone.

With the next round of funding on the horizon, we’re staying committed to continuous improvement, community input and building tech that cares.