5 Ways to Create a Garden for Wellbeing

Being outdoors and gardening positively affect our mental and physical health, as proven by science. Many of us already know that spending time in the garden has calming benefits - this has become more evident in recent years

Being outside, gardening, and enjoying the fruits of your labor can have a positive impact on your health and wellbeing. There are also some design ideas that can enhance the potential of your outdoor space.

1. RELAX & HIDEAWAY

Find a spot in your garden for both relaxation and activity. Leave your phone inside and take the time to just be peaceful in your outdoor space.

Using a structure to enclose your space can make it feel like a hidden place. This lets you relax among the plants and see your garden in a different way. Time spent appreciating what works, what doesn’t and planning what changes you would like to make is productive and satisfying.

If you have the space for a Gazebo or Arbour, you can place a bench inside and surround it with fragrant planting. Otherwise a Screen or Trellis can give a sense of partition and define the space.

2. BREATHE IN THE AROMAS & FRAGRANCES

There is an idea in ancient medicine, which views the garden as a healing environment. When you're ill in the East, you're sent into the herb garden to breathe in the aromas. It was best to do this at dusk - the time when the garden was at its warmest and most perfumed - add fragrant plants; herbs, scented flowers and ripening fruit to bring a little of that principle to your garden.

If you have a small garden, grow strong and easy herbs. They smell good, add color to your garden, feed wildlife, and taste good in food.

The best herb varieties for encouraging bees and butterflies include lavender, mint, rosemary, thyme and sage. Oregano is a particular favourite and in summer it will be adorned with Tortoiseshell and Peacock Butterflies. These herbs are easy to care for and provide fresh flavours for cooking right at your doorstep.

3. RECONNECT MIND & BODY 

Our lives today are often focused on screens, schedules, tasks, targets - take some time away from those parts of your life to unwind in the garden - it’s a form of meditation and benefits both the mind and body.

Silence your phone or any other electronics to remove distractions. Tune in to the natural sounds in your garden - meditation is a good way to do this. Just 10 minutes of meditation practice a day can bring about a calmer mind, a more relaxed body, increased focus and more. In the warmer months, outside yoga can be a huge asset to your practise. Studies have found that when two or more of your senses are engaged, relaxation follows - so drink in that fresh air and listen for the bird song next time you practise! 

Our Gazebo and Arbour range are brilliant structures for creating a secluded spot in the garden to relax and reconnect body and mind. Create the perfect seating area by adding a bench underneath and marvel the nature at play.

4. OBSERVE NATURE GROW

Growing from seed is something that needs to be done slowly and carefully for the best results - it’s a great opportunity to clear your mind and focus just on the task in hand. Reducing single use plastic and using sustainable materials like Bamboo or Hemp for planting is very satisfying!

In a busy world where we get used to immediate results there is something particularly calming about a process that requires time and patience - watching the steady progress of your seedlings day by day is a great reminder that good things are worth waiting for.

If space is at a premium then focus on growing herbs which pack a powerful punch and are easy to grow.They fill your garden with fragrance and colour, are a welcome source of food for wildlife and a tasty addition in the kitchen.

By incorporating planting that welcomes wildlife, your garden will alive with beneficial insect and bird life which are fascinating to watch and a helpful focus when clearing your mind to relax.

5. GROW YOUR OWN OUTSTANDING FLAVOURS

Grow something you can eat straight from the garden - There are few more satisfying things on a summer evening than eating a meal which has been entirely produced in your own garden. A simple salad, newly dug potatoes or fresh green beans create a simple meal with outstanding flavour.

Whether it’s a few cut-and-come-again salad leaves in a container or a full kitchen garden, the whole process of planning, sowing, tending and picking your own food is such a rewarding process, connecting you with the seasons and encouraging you to spend time, perhaps at the end of a busy day, winding down with a little watering, weeding or harvesting.

Our gardens have been so important to us recently and as well as exercise, fresh air and entertaining why not create a space to help free yourself from stress, anxiety and everyday worries. 

No garden is too big or too small to create relaxing havens from our busy lifestyles. For more ideas for a smaller garden you can read our 10 Ideas For Small Garden Spaces for inspiration.