What is "gardening leave"

n. (context UK English) garden leave.

Gardening Leave is a British registered horticultural therapy charity that focuses on the mental health of British Armed Forces veterans. It supports veterans with a wide range of mental health conditions including depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Through horticultural therapy sessions, the charity aims to maximise a veteran’s physical, psychological and social strength, and enhance general health and well-being.

Gardening Leave was founded in March 2007 and opened its headquarters and first project at Auchincruive, Scotland. On 3 September 2007, Lance Sergeant (then Lance Corporal) Johnson Beharry VC, opened the Poppy Collection at the Ayr site.

The organisation now also runs projects at Erskine Hospital (near Glasgow), Royal Hospital Chelsea ( London) and an outreach project in East Acton (London). It has announced plans to open a new project in Dundee in 2015.