FT SeriesThe FT guide to hands-on hobbies to boost your mental healthWhen life gets you down, give it the fingers - from flower arranging to scything© Alexander Coggin | florist Wagner Kreusch Open your mind to meditative artPainting mindfully has become increasingly credible, for artists and amateurs alike TV petrolhead James May on the slow joys of woodworkingThe presenter and car fanatic on finding an emotional outlet in carpentry, and why he is more modern than his on-screen caricatureThe knit crowdHand-knitting isn’t just a “self-soothing tool” – it’s the best way to get the look of the seasonMy quest to become the next Constance SpryFancy yourself a florist? Or an Ikebana master? We try four different ways of finding your arranging ‘flow’The scyther of suburbia: in the footsteps of Poldark and TolstoyThe tool from our romantic agrarian past is quiet, satisfying and good exercise, if you learn to use it properlyThe curious appeal of marmalade-makingAs home cooks discover the joys of the orange stuff, secrets and tips from two longtime fans