Healing Gardens: Elevating Mood
The power of therapeutic healing gardens, a six-part series.
Part 1: Elevating Mood
If we’re honest, we know that nobody wants to experience depression. If you suffer from it, you already know that. Those who suffer from it already know that; if you don’t, try and understand that those who do want nothing more than to “just be happy.”
While we know medication helps many sufferers, many lifestyle and behavior modifications can also be extremely beneficial. Exercise is a proven one, that said, just getting to the gym can seem insurmountable to someone suffering from depression.
Being outdoors and connecting with nature has also been shown to provide significant benefits, and this is where the concept of a Healing Garden comes in.
A healing garden is simply an outdoor area that helps you to feel grounded and replenished. This means different things to different people, but generally involves a mix of plants, paths, seating, and outdoor decorations. It can be anything from just a small bed of flowers with a bench, to an elaborate maze of paths that wind through your entire backyard.
Though they might take different forms, one thing all therapeutic gardens have in common is they seem to provide healing effects after 15-20 minutes. Recent research has found that olfactory provoking chemicals called phytoncides given off by plants and trees can alter your mood on a physiological level. Being near plants therefore may provide sedative and/or stimulating effects, and may lower the production of stress hormones. In short, being around nature makes us feel good.
Garden Girl once designed a healing garden for a recently divorced (and depressed) woman. Not only was it filled with nature but, being real about what stress relief really looks like, we also included an ax-throwing area and a place to smash plates that could be made into mosaic art at a later date.
Depression is very isolating, and its effects can create a variety of barriers to connecting with other human beings. A garden can be a healing, familiar, natural space that is warm, covered and intimate, opening the possibility of inviting a friend over without worrying about cleaning your house first. Garden Girl works with each client to come up with solutions that will help bring light to the darkness and provide mental health benefits for years to come.