Psychological Benefits

• Encourages patience, creativity and cooperation
• Provides a sense of control over one's environment
• A convenient "escape" from every day stresses, especially for urban dwellers

Focus on Color

• Refer to the Color Wheel to guide your color planning
• Use colors from the right side of the wheel (cool colors like violet, blue and green for a soothing effect
• Hot colors like red, orange, yellow are effective as accents, but keep them to a minimum (5% or less of total color mix)
• Avoid sharp contrasts, like mixing blues and violets rather than green and violet
• White is distracting to the eye and interrupts the visual flow; use grays or silvers instead

Key Principles for a Healing Garden

• Design with continuity and smooth, sweeping lines in mind. This applies to both plant height and color scheme
• Avoid sharp, straight lines where possible. Consider gently rounded flower beds, or ovoid "flower islands"
• Gardening is great exercise, but can cause strains and aches. Begin and end each session with a series of gentle stretches. This will warm up your muscles and make you more aware of your body, increasing the physical benefits

Creating an Experience

• The effect of scent is often underestimated… look to fragrant plants like lavender, lilac, and basil to enhance your garden experience
• Incorporate audio into your gardening time with soothing music or a favorite book on tape, CD or MP3
• If you live in a higher-density, more urban area, create a natural barrier to protect your soothing space. Hedges and wooden fences are both effective to block noise and visual interruptions
• Add a water feature, anything from a small pond to a simple fountain
• A garden is a labor of love, so make sure you genuinely enjoy what you're doing. Don't be afraid to look at different types of gardens if they're more appropriate to your personal tastes and preferences