Let’s face it, we all have some stress in our lives. Sadly, not all of us can afford a daily trip to a spa or a daily massage. This stress is why you need to build your own zen space in your home.
You can create your own tranquil space to help you relax. And it doesn’t have to be a Japanese Zen garden. There are ways to arrange your garden to create a place to relax.
You can plant brightly coloured flowers and shrubs for your garden. You can plant evergreens to keep your garden looking good throughout the year.
There are even options for a serene and low maintenance garden. You can choose to have artificial grass instead of natural grass. You can also choose to add plants that don’t need to be watered regularly, such as succulents.
Can grass relieve stress?
Yes, having grass in your garden relieve your stress. According to an article in Marie Claire UK, researchers have found that mowed grass will release chemicals that will help you feel relaxed and hopefully prevent your mental decline as you get older.
A group of Australian researchers from the University of Queensland found that when you mow grass, it releases chemicals that make you feel calm and happy. These chemicals will also be responsible for slowing down your mental decline.
In a story released by the university, neuroscientist Dr Nick Lavidis explained that smell works on your brain. The scent of freshly cut grass will work on the parts of your brain that are responsible for memory and emotion.
Lavidis further explained that these areas are also in charge of our fight or flight reflexes. These areas are also responsible for our endocrine system, releasing stress hormones like corticosteroids.
Lavidis and Associate Professor Rosemarie Einstein worked together to develop a perfume that has the same effect as smelling freshly cut grass. This spray or perfume is called, Serenascent and it contains three of the same chemicals released from cut grass.
So to create a tranquil and calm garden for your home, having grass is essential. Creating a relaxing environment in our homes is especially important in today’s rat-race focused world.
Dr Lavidis explained that we experience two different kinds of stress in our lives.
“The first is when you are about to perform something, or you know you are going to have to do something well. That’s acute stress and can be a good form of stress. Bad stress is chronic stress and is associated with an increase in blood pressure, forgetfulness and a weakening of the immune system,” Lavidis explained.
Different types of garden sanctuaries
Everyone is unique and has their own needs when it comes to having a calm, serene, and relaxed space. There is a range of garden ideas for you to choose from to create a relaxing environment.
Rock Garden
A rock garden is an excellent option is for you if you want a relaxing garden that is low maintenance and can survive harsh environments.
You have a river of rocks of different sizes with a rock garden. You can create a more natural and green feel by planting various plants with different heights.
No rock garden is complete without any succulents. An excellent choice would be Hen and Chicks. This succulent spreads quickly without any help, and it’s low maintenance.
Hen and Chicks succulents come in a broad range of leaf shapes, different colours and various styles. These succulents have thick leaves which can store water for long periods. This water storage means that you don’t have to water them often.
You can also plant evergreen plants like Mint Twist White Pine and Blue Chip Juniper. Planting ornamental grasses such as Blue Fescue can provide extra texture to your rock garden.
Shade Garden
If you’re living in a warm area or just not a fan of sitting in the hot sun, you create a cool and soothing shade garden. You will need to have a bigger garden space for this type of garden.
Shade gardens typically work with a garden that has giant trees. Because of these trees, you’ll need to grow plants and flowers that will thrive in shade or indirect sunlight. These plants include cardinal flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) or rose impatiens (Impatiens walleriana).
You can also plant short and tall evergreens for your shade garden to give your garden a soothing earthy feel. You might want to create a path with stones to make it easier to stroll through your garden.
You can use natural stone for your walking path with a shade garden. You can also use this type of stone to build a low wall along your walking route or for the edges of your plant beds.
You can also place a comfortable bench to create a sitting area in the shade of your garden. You can set your bench deep in your shade garden to give you some well-deserved privacy while you relax.
Private garden
If you’re the sort of gardener that wants a space to relax with a bit more structure and consistent lines, then maybe you can go for a more formal and private garden.
You can grow low hedges to create a design with your plant beds. You can also choose to cut your hedges in shapes such as semi-circular or rectangular shapes.
You don’t have only to have hedges for your private and more formal garden. There are a few flowers that you plant in your garden. You will only need flowers in two or three different colours from the same pallet.
If you want to add some extra privacy to your garden, you can consider building an enclosure. A simple fence around your garden or even a high hedge will do the trick.
Country Flower Garden
If you fancy a garden sanctuary with bright colours, you can consider a country flower and shrub garden idea. You can try growing plants such as Hydrangeas, Lavender, Cistus and Deutzias.
To keep your garden looking good all year round, you can also plant evergreen bushes and shrubs such as Daphne, Azaleas, and Heathers. Planting evergreen shrubs randomly in your garden will give your garden some added texture.
Just like a private garden, you can also add a stone walkway so you can stroll peacefully through your garden. You can also add a bench swing, so you sway while admiring your plants.
Summary on building your zen in your own home
Being able to relax in a natural environment is one of the few joys we have in life. But we can’t just stop working and take a stroll in nature. This is why you need to build your own zen in your own home.
It doesn’t have to be a pricey or complicated endeavour. It can be as simple as planting some brightly coloured flowers and shrubs. You can give yourself some privacy by having high hedges or tall fences.
With the ideas that we’ve shared here, you can get started with building your tranquil garden right now.
References:
https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2009/08/does-gardening-improve-your-memory
https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/for-places/rock-gardens
https://www.dammannsgardenco.com/blog/rock-garden-design-the-best-plants-for-a-rockery
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/how-to-maintain-your-push-mower-13768651.html
