If you’re a keen gardener already, you’re sure to be very familiar with just how healing it can be, spending time outside and working on your plants, herbs, shrubs, veggies and so on.
Gardening is incredibly good for both your physical and mental health and wellbeing, and with so much going on in the wider world right now, looking inwards and devoting your time to helping plants grow can have a hugely positive impact on you and your own emotional outlook.
The concept of healing gardens is certainly not a new one and you only have to look at Japanese Zen gardens and monastic cloister gardens to see just how long the idea has been around.
Hospitals and healthcare facilities often have these kinds of outdoor spaces to help patients recuperate, as well – which just goes to show how effective gardening can be as a place of refuge and respite.
The last few years have seen a big surge in interest in therapeutic gardens, perhaps unsurprisingly, with designs of these spaces specifically selected to help drive interaction with nature’s healing elements. This can be passive or active, depending on your own needs and desires – so how do you go about deciding what to include in your own garden plans?
First of all, you need to decide whether you want your garden to be enabling or restorative. If you go for the latter, you’ll reap benefits simply by sitting in the space or walking through it, while the former requires you to be more actively involved.
So you need to work out what your biggest health concerns are first, whether that’s looking to reduce stress, eat more healthily or being able to continue gardening as you age and your physical capabilities change.
From there, you can start thinking about the hardscaping of the space, deciding whether you want room for wheelchairs, how much privacy you need, how you’re going to unify the garden and so on.
And, of course, planting is absolutely key. Make sure that you grow what you like and what you enjoy looking at and smelling.
Perhaps do some research into colour psychology and build up a shortlist of plants you’d like to have based on which shades are good for reducing stress and anxiety. If you’d like any further help or advice relating to landscaping in Chester, get in touch with us today.