Healing Gardens

Think Accessibility When Planning Your Healing GardenWhen planning your healing garden, you’ll have lots on your mind, from the plants you’ll be choosing to the overall design of the area that will make up your garden. Access to the garden shouldn’t be difficult, even if all the people in your home are able-bodied and shouldn’t have a problem with accessing all the areas.

If you do have a family member or friend that might have a problem accessing some of the garden areas, it’s good to plan ahead so you won’t have to think about it anymore. Paved walkways, expanding areas so that a wheelchair can fit through easily rather than having to maneuver around obstacles can be both helpful and beautiful if done correctly.

Another way you can improve accessibility to your healing garden is to plan raised garden beds rather than ones that originate from ground level. You’ll find that it’s much easier to plant and tend to plants in raised bed areas rather than having to kneel and bend your back to work on the ground.

Raised beds can also help to keep pests and wildlife out of your garden area. There are many designs and materials you can used for your raised garden bed areas. They can be preformed or you can build them (or have them built) to fit your garden plan. Continue reading

Create Your Own Green Space to Help Yourself and the Environment

In Europe, green spaces are considered the “green lungs” of the cities and are planned to help the physical and mental health of residents by offering recreation such as cycling, meditating, walking and play time for children.

People visit them to de-stress from modern living and to enjoy a different view from concrete and glass. It also helps bring the country into the cities and place oxygenating plants and water features into areas that are starved for space.

You can create your own green space at your home. Even an apartment balcony or patio can be the green space that contains living plants and water features that are easy on the eye and hearing. If you have a large space, you might want to plan and create a more environmentally friendly larger space with a pond and one that attracts and feeds wildlife. Continue reading

Creative Pathways to Access Your GardenThe focus of a beautiful garden is the inspiration, calmness and beauty to the eye that it provides. You may have a garden that also provides herbs for cooking and healing, but whatever the reason and wherever the garden is located, the paths that meander through it should be considered in the design.

Pathways in your garden should link areas of your garden. For example, if you have a pond or large water feature that’s some distance from the house or outdoor dining areas, a winding and attractive pathway can be a great design feature.

Here are some creative designs that can add aesthetic value to your garden area:

Natural Stone

If done correctly, a natural stone pathway can help to transition the levels and areas of the garden. Natural stone fits beautifully into the landscape and are great for any type of garden design. Rock materials, fieldstone or bricks are great to use in garden pathways. Continue reading