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How to Design a Healing Garden in your Backyard

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January 9, 2024 by Diana Leave a Comment

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Gardens are a powerful feature of landscapes and homes around the world. But what makes a garden a healing garden and how does it offer peace and health? When I noticed how much my mood improved when I started gardening daily, I knew there must be magic in the soil. Have you noticed that too?

Together let’s discover the alluring healing gardens so that we too can incorporate the elements into our own backyard DIY healing garden to offer peace and health in a chaotic world.

How to Design a Healing Garden in your Backyard, Wandering Hoof Ranch

Healing Gardens

Healing gardens are said to improve the health, providing a sense of calm and tranquility. Many studies have shown the benefits getting out into nature can provide. However, with a healing garden you get maximum health and wellbeing benefits.

Wondering what the difference is between a standard and a healing garden? Below, you’ll discover everything you need to know.

What exactly is a healing garden?

A healing garden is typically found in a hospital or healthcare setting. They are designed to promote healing and provide a safe haven for patients. 

Healing gardens are often confused with therapeutic gardens. While they share many of the same benefits, they are slightly different from one another.

With a therapeutic garden, they are designed to meet specific needs of certain health conditions. Healing gardens however, tend to provide benefits to a wider range of people.

There are actually different types of healing gardens you can create, and each has their own unique benefits. 

What elements make up a healing garden?

A healing garden is designed with safety and comfort in mind. It needs to be a place you feel safe escaping to, so having the garden enclosed is recommended. 

Bright, colorful flowers are also a key part of a healing garden. This provides a beautiful visual which will really please the senses and aid in relaxation. 

Sounds also play a role in a healing garden. Water features are commonly added for the soothing trickling sounds they produce. There will be a wildlife section where you’ll hear the sounds of insects and birds.

How to Design a Healing Garden in your Backyard, Wandering Hoof Ranch

You’ll want to include things which stimulate your sense of smell too. Flowers and herbs are great to add into a healing garden due to their pleasant, strong scent. 

Finally, your sense of touch will be activated as you run your fingers over the velvety stems of the flowers. Put simply, a healing garden includes things which stimulate and enhance all of your five senses. 

Things to consider when creating a healing garden

Now you know what a typical healing garden includes, there are a few tips to create one which works well for you. These include:

  • Choose colors which support the emotions you want to feel
  • Don’t forget to add lighting
  • Block out intrusive noises
  • Create the layout first
  • Consider the natural elements

Color plays a key role in a healing garden, so you should pay close attention to the ones you choose. You’ll want to focus on colors that evoke the emotions you want to feel.

For example, if you’re looking to de-stress and relax, blues and greens tend to be the most calming. If you’re battling depression, opt for vibrant colors such as reds and pinks. 

You’ll also want to add some form of lighting to the garden. Ideally, you should opt for low volume lighting to provide a more subtle, beautiful light. 

One of the key challenges of designing a healing garden, is blocking out noise. If you live in a fairly noisy area, construct a thick wall around the garden. The thicker the wall the better, and for enhanced noise reduction, include some vegetation too. You can also add a water feature to create soothing noise inside the garden.

It’s really important to start with the layout first. Decide where everything is going to go and how you want the garden to look. Only once you have the basic layout planned out, can you start choosing the elements you want to include.

Finally, consider the natural elements in your garden’s design. When it’s sunny, where will you sit out and enjoy the warmer weather?

This will make a difference to where you’ll want to plant trees and large outdoor furnishings. You will also want to focus on blocking out strong winds once you’ve established where they are coming from.

Think about who the garden is for and what its purpose will be. Is it simply going to provide a place you can escape during stressful times? Or, are you hoping it might improve certain aspects of your health? Understanding the purpose of the garden will help you to identify which one to use.

Most healing gardens tend to feature the same kind of elements. If you want to create one specifically for you, don’t be afraid to mix and match the elements featured in differing types of gardens.

The above are some of the most common types of healing gardens you can create. Don’t forget, you can also tailor the design to match your individual preferences. A healing garden can be whatever you want it to be. Focus on including elements which spark calm and happiness.  

Healing gardens can provide so many great benefits. The above are just some of the elements incorporated into their design. 

Now you know the awesome benefits healing gardens can deliver, it’s time to create your own. 

While setting up your own healing garden can be challenging, it can also be really rewarding too. There are a few tips and tricks you can follow to make it easier and once built, you’ll get to enjoy it for years to come. 

Here, you’ll discover how to create your very own healing garden you can enjoy all year round.

Create a Practical Healing Garden

The first thing you’ll need to do before you create your healing garden, is to establish the practicalities. This includes:

  • The layout
  • The environment
  • Focal points
  • Textures

You’ll need to have a good idea of where you want to put everything before you actually get started. Ensure the layout matches your needs. For example, if you suffer with mobility issues, take that into account when designing the paths. 

You’ll also need to consider the environment such as the climate and the noise pollution surrounding the garden. The climate will determine the type of plants and flowers you can use, while you’ll need to block out as much noise as possible in your garden’s design.

Establishing the focal points of the garden is also important. There should be at least one focal point that grabs your attention. This could be a tree, a piece of furniture or even a sculpture. 

Next, it’s time to look into how you can add different textures to the garden. If you’re using a variety of plants, alongside trees and different types of paving, this will produce a number of different textures.

THE EQUIPMENT YOU NEED FOR YOUR HEALING GARDEN

Once you know what you want to include in the garden, it’s time to ensure you have the right equipment. 

You’re going to need standard gardening equipment such as spades and compost. However, if you’re planning on designing the entire garden by yourself, you may also need to invest in specialist equipment. Be sure you have all of the necessary equipment before starting on the garden’s design. 

Related: Gardening Supplies you Must Have as a Beginner Gardener

How to Choose your Plants and Flowers

Choosing the right plants and flowers is crucial in designing the perfect healing garden. Remember to choose flowers that resonate with you. Each of us is different so you’ll want to make sure you include plants and flowers that enhance your individual senses.

Of course, you also need to consider how easy they are to grow too. If you’re unsure of which plants and flowers would be best, it’s a good idea to ask someone at your local garden center. The staff there are usually knowledgeable in which types of plants grow best in differing environments.  

Related: Best Plants for Healing Gardens

If you don’t have a lot of time, try planting perennial herbs.

Include a Water Feature

All healing gardens should boast a water feature. They really help to aid relaxation and they can look beautiful in the garden. 

You’ll find a variety of different water features on the market. You can purchase an ornamental water feature or create a pond in the garden if you’d prefer. I really like this wood barrel water fountain or the buckets below.

Add Comfortable Seating

Of course, you’re going to want to be able to sit back and enjoy your hard work. Comfortable seating is a must for DIY healing gardens. They allow you to fully rest and relax in the garden, producing a lot more benefits. 

One idea to consider is adding a memorial bench such as the one below or maybe add a swing to sit with a loved one.

Consider using Stepping Stones

You can use steppingstones to create a more unique pathway. They tend to add a magical feel and make the garden design a lot more interesting. 

The above is just a brief guide to create a DIY healing garden. It is recommended you do as much research as possible prior to creating one. If you want the best results, you might also want to consider hiring a professional gardener to create it for you. 

Check out Stephanies DIY tutorials on DIY Concrete Stepping Stones here.

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SHARING IS CARING, PRACTICE SOME KINDNESS TODAY, PLEASE PIN ON PINTEREST

P.S This is totally me dreaming of being in my future lavender field. I can just smell that calming scent. My absolute favourite colour and healing herb. You with me?

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Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: diy garden, garden layout, Gardening, healing garden, healing garden checklist, herb garden planner, herb gardening, herbal academy, mental health, stress management, water features, zen garden

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