I think it is fair to say that, we all need a place to retreat to when life gets a little hectic. For most people that’s their home. If you are fortunate enough to have an outdoor yard or garden, a wellness garden could be the perfect solution. Investing in your new place of relaxation and gratitude helps reduce stress and increase your happiness. Let’s talk about the benefits of a wellness garden and where / how you can create your own.

What is a wellness garden?

A wellness garden is an outdoor space where you can entertain guests, but more importantly, you can also focus on your physical and mental health. It can help you to relax and to reduce stress levels that you might otherwise feel in your daily life. Everyone’s wellness garden may include different things such as, fresh flowers, a space to practice yoga and other daily exercise. You can plant and grow vegetables or just relax and experience the wonders of a new hot tub/swim spa.

The benefits of a wellness garden

The biggest benefit of a wellness garden is that it helps to reconnect you with nature and the outdoors, even if you live in a town or city with restricted space. Spending time outdoors in a pleasant environment is the “you time” many of us need. We sometimes forget that we are allowed to just sit in the sun for a couple of hours reading, listening to music. A well-equipped wellness garden creates a personal space where the focus is on you.

Studies show that spending time outdoors can significantly boost health and well-being, even if just for a couple of hours per week. A wellness garden is designed to help ‘heal’ you, instil calm and provides you with that much-needed escape from everyday stresses.

How to create a wellness garden

There are a few different ways in which you can create a wellness garden, and this can be different from one person to the next. We are all unique, and we all have different stress triggers and different activities that help calm us down and shift us to a place of zen. Let’s take a look at a few popular options that could contribute to your perfect wellness garden.

Plants

Taking up gardening and planting flowers and plants in your wellness garden will help to create a soothing atmosphere. The location, exposure, and how sunny your outdoor space gets will dictate what types of plants you can grow, but scented plants that soothe you will help to create a calming effect and have a positive impact on your mental well-being.

Water

A soothing water feature adds another layer of relaxation, with the constant trickle of water always a relaxing sound when sitting outside in a peaceful place.

Seating

Comfortable seating is a vital part of any wellness garden, as it is a space that you will want to spend many hours in. Choose seating that fits the design of the space of course, but also what fits your needs of comfort. This could be bench seating, to draw in the eye and welcome visitors, place right in the centre of plants and flowers, and add cushions.

Shade

Shade is important, so consider a gazebo, a pergola, a fabric canopy, or another type of shading structure that offers you respite from the sun when the heat is on during the summer months.

Hot Tubs

Hot tubs can make a huge difference to the relaxation levels you can achieve at home. Although you may primarily think of a hot tub in your back garden as a summer activity, it can actually be used all year round if you position it well and have good coverage to ward off the elements during the colder months.

Swim Spas

A swim spa is a built-in unit that has a current system which allows you to swim on the spot essentially. Using either jet pumps or propellors you can get the perfect swim and exercise in, without leaving the comfort of your back garden. Swim spas help with pain and tension relief, improve your cardiovascular health, quality of sleep, and gives you more time outdoors.

A safe and personal outside space s hugely beneficial for your physical and mental health. Life doesn’t have to always be go go go. As well as investing in the inside of your house, invest in your garden. Create a space you are proud of and reap the relaxation and mindful benefits of your new beautiful wellness garden. If you need help designing a beautiful outdoor living space, we recommend collaborating with The London Essex Group.