Healing Gardens: Creating Serene and Therapeutic Outdoor Spaces

Gardens aren't just a place to look pretty in the warmer months, or a safe space for animals and nature to flourish. They can also be a space for you to thrive.

It's well-known that spending time outside is good for your physical and mental well-being, but not many appreciate the power of the space next to their homes. There's no need to go on a long hike or a day trip to the beach - you can simply step outside your backdoor!

In this blog, we look at the benefits of nature on our health and cover ways that you can enhance your garden to create a serene and therapeutic environment just outside your home.

4 Key Benefits of Spending Time in Nature

1. Stress Reduction

Spending time in nature can help reduce stress levels and encourage you to relax. Breathing in the fresh air and sitting or working among the green shrubbery and colourful plants can have a calming effect on the mind and body, helping to alleviate stress and tension.

2. Improved Mood

As well as reducing stress, the fresh air and nature can uplift mood and enhance emotional well-being. This is because the environment stimulates the release of endorphins and serotonin, which are hormones associated with happiness and mood regulation.

3. Boosted Immune System

As well as helping with mental health, spending time outdoors means you are exposed to a diverse range of microorganisms and natural elements, which can help strengthen the immune system and build resilience against illnesses and infections.

4. Improved Sleep Quality

Spending time outdoors helps synchronise the body's internal clock, leading to more restful and rejuvenating sleep at night. This is because exposure to natural light and fresh air can regulate circadian rhythms, improving your sleep cycle and quality.

How to Design a Calming Garden Retreat

If you're looking to use your garden as a place for relaxing and bolstering your health, there are a few things you can do to create a peaceful and therapeutic retreat:

Aromatherapy Plants

There are a number of plants that emit a strong smell, such as lavender and rose bushes which can enhance your mood, relieve stress, and improve well-being.

Aromatic plants naturally release essential oils when their leaves are rubbed or crushed. It only takes a few plants to create a noticeable smell in your garden, meaning that you can dedicate a small section of your garden to this and explore other plants and their benefits.

Meditation Areas

Creating a dedicated quiet space where you can spend some time meditating and practising mindfulness is another way that you can benefit from your garden.

Use the aromatic plants to generate a calming scent and some colourful flowers to enhance the look and feel of the space. Colour can have a great impact on your mood, with bright and vibrant colours boosting your mood.

Sensory Experiences

By creating a garden that appeals to all five senses, you can also produce a space that is relaxing and therapeutic. Here are some good options:

• Adding colourful plants, water features, and trees that attract birds will capture your vision, as well as add sound effects to your garden.
• You can add wind chimes to add a more varied sound to your space if you wish.
• Add walkways with a variety of materials, such as gravel, and plants that are happy to be handled so that your garden can become tactile.
• If you plant a variety of aromatic plants, your garden will already smell great, but be sure to space them out around the garden so that you can enjoy each smell individually, rather than a confusing blend.
• Finally, grow herbs, vegetables and fruits where you can so that you can taste elements of your garden too.

Embrace every sense and use it to create a beautiful and stimulating garden.

Need Help to Create Your Serene Outdoor Space?

There are a lot of elements to consider when trying to create a calming outdoor area for yourself, especially when trying to create a space that will stimulate all your senses.

The team and The Real Green Gardener are experts in their field, with over 12 years of experience. We specialise in designing bespoke gardens to meet your needs, so you can be confident that we will use our knowledge to design and create a garden that will reflect your needs perfectly.

We offer a comprehensive range of gardening services, from garden landscaping to garden building and maintenance once your garden has been finished. Before starting any of our work, we will get to know you, your space and your desires so that we can produce a garden that is filled with wonderful plants and features to help you relax and destress.

If you already have an idea of how you would like your garden laid out but are unsure what plants to include, we can simply help you choose the perfect plants. We offer several planting packages and bedding plant packages that help you transform your regular garden into a safe haven. Talk to us about your vision, and our specialists will guide you through your options before working with you to choose a selection of plants.

Get in touch with our team today to learn more about our services and start creating your serene and therapeutic outdoor space. Call us on 01202 722943 or complete our online enquiry form, and we will get in touch with you.