Relaxation is a key aspect for a healthy mental state. Our brains don’t function well when they are in a constant state of stress or trauma. Brains need rest as much as they need stimulation. A garden can provide a place of rest.
In your garden, designate a place that is specifically for rest. A space for times of calm- no kickball or acrobatics allowed. It’s a space where your brain can know nothing is going to harm it, you can let down your guard.
For this space, choose an aesthetic that is pleasing to your personality. Some people would like the look of a prairie meadow- wild and free. Others would prefer a clean tailored look with manicured edges. Whatever style soothes you and feels peaceful. You don’t want to be distracted by the overall aesthetic.
Also make sure there is a comfortable spot to sit or recline. The body should be able to physically rest if so included.
When our brains crave rest/relaxation, it’s often satisfied by stimulating our five senses: smell, sound, taste, touch, sight. Providing a way for the brain to interact with these can calm and sooth.
Sight: The overall aesthetic definitely plays into the sight sense. The visual is the first thing you will notice. But give yourself a special treat- maybe a specimen plant that looks especially appealing during a certain time of year or time of day. If you find yourself coming to your relaxation spot in late afternoon, how about some flowers that open late in the day to early evening. Moonflower vines only open their flowers in the evening.
Also consider natural light in your garden. How the light interacts with different plants at different times of day. If evening is your garden time, then additional lights may be needed.
Touch: Have plants close at hand with interesting textures. Last fall, a customer told me about how she was buying lamb’s ear for a children’s garden because of it’s soft fuzzy texture. Feathery ferny textures like artemisias, fennels, or ferns have soft tactile feels to them.
Smell: I like to combine touch and smell. I keep herbs close by because they have pleasing texture and the smells are calming. A lavender plant would be very pleasant in a relaxation spot. I love to rub my fingers through a thyme plant. There’s something very grounding about that smell to me.
Taste: Personally I like snacks in my garden. I often grow extra cherry tomatoes or English peas because I know I’m going to eat half of them in the garden. Berry fruits such as strawberries make excellent additions. They fit in small spaces! Or if growing the snacks doesn’t work, design a special spot to hold your favorite snack or mini charcuterie board.
Sound: Wind and water are probably the easiest ways to create pleasing sounds in a garden. Fountains, wind chimes or even wind rustling through grass. But don’t forget about the absence of added sound. Sometimes just natural noises are enough- birdsong, critters crawling, etc.
Try adding an experience involving one of the five senses to your garden.
**PS: I’m talking about gardens in this series but the concepts discussed here can be found in nature— your local park, a hike in the woods, even a small back patio. You don’t have to have a full garden to integrate the principles into your life.