Natural havens: the cure for stress could be in your own backyard. Gardens measurably reduce tension and discomfort and help restore emotional and physical health

Natural Health, July-August, 2004 by Nancy Stedman

For a millennium or more, gardens have been used in Western and Asian cultures to promote health--not just through the medicinal properties of the plants themselves, but by creating an environment that restores balance and inspires tranquility in its visitors. And this age-old antidote may be just the thing to combat the overstimulation and stress of life in the 21st century.

"There is growing awareness that your setting does affect your well-being," says New York City landscape architect David Kamp. For many years, Kamp designed soothing spaces for institutions; now that chilling out has become hot, homeowners are asking him to reinvent their backyards and rooftops.

In a sense, all gardens are healing places--simply looking at nature helps people feel better. "They provide an opportunity for a still point in your life, a chance for a refreshing stopping over," says Atlanta's Mary Palmer Dargan, who, like Kamp, is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Restorative gardens offer an escape from your habitual pathways, explain University of Michigan psychologists Stephen Kaplan, Ph.D., and Rachel Kaplan Ph.D. These environments also supply "soft fascination'--a mixture of beauty and a gentler fascination that leaves room for reflection. These are spots that calm you down without becoming tedious.

Try three minutes--four at the most. "Laboratory and clinical investigations have found that viewing nature settings can produce significant [stress recovery] within less than five minutes, as indicate by positive changes in blood pressure, heart activity, muscle tension and brain electrical activity," concludes Roger S. Ulrich, Ph.D., in a recent summary on the health benefits of gardens.

Mood improved as well. "Persons exposed to the settings with plants and other nature, in contrast to environments [lacking nature], had lower levels of fear and anger, and reported far higher levels of positive feelings," states Ulrich, who is director of the Center for Health Systems and Design at Texas A&M University's College of Architecture.

The results are similar even when the body has been challenged by illness and surgery, according to Ulrich. "Broadly parallel findings have been obtained when stressed patients in health-care settings have been visually exposed to nature." (See "A Healing Room With a View," page 64.)

What does all this mean for your backyard? Without much effort, you can transform a relatively small space into a natural sanctuary that will replenish your body and soul. Utilize the following suggestions to reap the greatest benefits:

(1) Find a flat open area that's at least 6 feet by 8 feet, says Dargan; it can he made of stone or grass, or even be a pool of water.

(2) Enclose your space. To set it apart, there should be some kind of buffer, such as bushes, a fence, wall or row of potted plants.

(3) Make an entrance. A gate, arched trellis or chain of bells can denote an entry at which cares can be left behind.

(4) Make a point. A focal spot such as an urn, bird feeder, distinctive rock, fountain or striking planting like a Japanese maple captures your attention in an inviting way.

(5) Place benches, chairs, logs or large stones in viewing areas. "A place to sit is crucial, so you have a spot to gaze from" says Dargan. Try adding a vine-topped pergola as a comforting "roof" to a bench.

(6) Coordinate colors. Cool hues like blue are soothing. Dargan focuses on the range from "deep, rich purples to pale blues, using a tiny bit of white or pale yellow to make the colors stronger. Save the exciting colors like orange and red for another part of the yard."

(7) Contrast textures. Juxtaposing filigreed foliage (maples, fennel) with broader leaves (hydrangea, fatsia) gives the eyes something to play upon. Grasses and bamboos that create sound as they rustle in the breeze add another pleasing element.

(8) Add water. It puts people at ease, plus it "catches reflections and muffles sounds," says Kamp. "I've learned how to 'tune' water elements by moving stones, changing the height of the water, the width of the water's channel, and the depth of the basin it pours into." You don't need to install an expensive pond or brook. "A small amount of water can go a great way," says Kamp, who once created a fountain out of a watering can, a horse trough and a $10 circulating pump.

(9) Think with your nose. Briefly blooming plants like lilies and long-blooming ones like the annual heliotrope provide fragrance. The scent of lavender reputedly calms you down, while rosemary energizes you. Dargan sometimes brings aromatherapy diffusers into her garden.

(10) Welcome wildlife. Use bird feeders to attract warblers and greenery such as milkweed, buddleia and primrose to lure butterflies and hummingbirds. But be careful with plants like lemon balm that are irresistible to bees.

(11) Add a touch of humanity to natural settings with decorative tiles, stepping stones, ceramic planters and found items like driftwood.