Spending time outside can do wonders for your mental well-being. After all, there’s much relaxation to be drawn from having your feet in the grass as you look out at the natural world. It’s an easy, effective way to keep the stresses and strains of everyday life in check.
The only issue? Finding the time to take a trip to the great outdoors can be challenging. But you don’t have to visit one of the UK’s national parks to get your fill of nature-inspired relaxation. With a little bit of work, your garden can provide that role. In this post, we’ll run through some useful strategies for creating a zen garden that might just become your favourite place on the planet.
Get It Into Shape
You’ll need to do a bit of gardening work — or hire someone to do it for you — to produce a zen garden, but not that much. Plus, the act of gardening can be a relaxing endeavour in itself. We’d recommend starting by giving your garden a great lawn of grass (it’s essential) and then adding plants that have relaxing properties. You’ll feel quite at peace if you choose ornamentals that have relaxing colours (such as purple, white, and blue) and aromatic herbs (such as rosemary).
Comfortable Outdoor Seating
You’ll want to spend as much time in your garden as possible once it’s in shape. To do that, you’ll need to have some comfortable outdoor seating that encourages you to spend long hours basking in your lovely garden. It’s best to invest in various pieces of outdoor furniture so that you can cater to all needs and occasions — lounge chairs for soaking up the rays, an outdoor dining table set for alfresco dining, and perhaps even a hammock for ultimate relaxation.
Make it Private
Your neighbours may be lovely, but you’ll be happier if your garden is a truly private space. That’ll allow you to read, meditate, and sunbathe in total peace. There are various ways to make your garden more private, including working with a fencing installation company to add a featherbridge or closeboard fence, planting strategically-placed trees, and incorporating a garden shelter (which can also be great for creating an outdoor social space). While it’s unlikely that anyone will look at you while you’re in your garden, you’ll be much more relaxed knowing that they couldn’t even if they wanted to!
Install a Water Feature
Running water has a soothing, calming effect on humans. Perhaps it’s because the sound mimics white noise, allowing us to block out the mania of the rest of the world, or maybe it’s because it reminds us of our connection to nature. Whatever it is, it works. So why not add a water feature to your garden? They’re much more straightforward to install than you might think (handy homeowners can do it themselves), and once you’re done, you’ll have the loveliest soundscape to listen to on those bright and sunny spring mornings when you have nothing to do and not a care in the world.
