A Beautiful Garden Can Change Your Life. Here’s how.
A Beautiful Garden Can Change Your Life. Here’s how.
Modern day life is stressful and the world can sometimes seem like an overwhelming place. Research shows that to counteract feelings of stress, fear, and exhaustion, people are spending more time at home, finding peace and fulfillment in the creation of their own islands of calm.
For many people, creating a beautiful garden is part of that process. In fact, an aesthetically pleasing garden isn’t just easy on the eyes. It has a number of benefits – some so powerful they could even change your life!
Here’s how an effective garden maintenance plan can change your life...
Beautiful space, healthy body
We live in a world of electronic devices and long hours spent in front of computers and TV screens. This way of work and play has numerous negative implications for your health, including poor posture, back ache, headaches, and eye strain.
Getting outside will place your body in a natural environment, making you use muscles and positions that you don’t normally use. Working hard to create a beautiful garden is also an excellent form of exercise that can encourage weight loss as well as reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Fresh air and natural light is good for your health. Plants give off oxygen during photosynthesis which can improve the air quality and make temperatures cooler – all much better for your health than being stuck indoors. For example, research shows the people who recuperate in hospitals with beautiful gardens tend to recover more quickly than those who are confined to an indoor space.
Beautiful space, healthy mind
An hour spent in the garden, checking the progress of your plants and enjoying the varied bird and butterfly life (that a beautiful garden brings with it) is like a spa session for the soul.
Observing the wonders of nature can calm the mind, providing a welcome distraction or the feeling of being grounded and emotionally uplifted. The same can be said for walking barefoot on the lawn or working the soil with your hands. These gardening activities act as a form of meditation, giving stressed-out minds a chance to recover. Not to mention the feelings of pride and accomplishment that go with seeing the results of your hard work and patience blossom before your eyes.
Want to boost your creativity? Plant some African violets (or other purple flowers). Looking at these flowers is said to increase brain power and endorphin levels!
Caring for the world you live
Human beings have a bad reputation for environmental damage and establishing and maintaining a beautiful garden is one way to ‘go green’ and benefit the earth. Plants clean the air, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing essential oxygen while holding soil in place, preventing erosion.
Effective landscape design can help cool your home in summer and keep it warm in winter, reducing your energy costs and their impact on the environment.
There are so many benefits to a beautiful garden, not least being the meaningful impact it can have on the way you live your life.