How to Make a Healing Garden with Outdoor Flowering Plants

Healing gardens provide a peaceful place for the body, mind and spirit; a respite from a strength sapping illness, hard working day or generally stressful life. No matter where gardens are located, they inspire hopefulness to people who spend time in them.

Although many public patient-care organizations have recognized the value of and, then, created healing gardens, it is possible for gardeners to make a healing garden in their own backyard among their outdoor flowering plants. Gardeners will want to add a sitting place, calming colors, fragrant summer plants and garden sounds to a quiet location to create a soothing environment.

Calming Flower Colors

Calming flower colors are referred to as cool colors. Cool colors are blue, green and violet. Pale shades of red, yellow or orange colors can create a calming environment, too.

Although not a color, white flowers will light up a garden space used primarily at night or located in shade. A foliage garden can be planted with blue and green hostas because they grow well in a shady place.

A rose and clematis garden is easy to create with calming pink and lilac colors where the garden is in full sun. The plants will require a sunny location to thrive, but a covered seating area allows the view to be enjoyed.

Calm can also be added to a healing garden with pale colors found in the visual artwork, walkway pavers or lawn furniture. Gardeners can take this into account when devising color schemes to use in the garden.

Garden Sounds of Water and Music

A mixture of garden themes allows for one planting bed to fulfill several purposes. A pastel colored garden accessorized with feeders is sure to attract songbirds, and their music, to a healing garden.

The sound of running water is a soothing garden music. However, building a large waterfall pond is just one idea for a backyard-healing garden. Water can be heard from the splashing of a bird taking a bath or a gurgling fountain on the patio.

Although rain chains are meant to direct water off a gutter, in a gentle breeze the tinkling sounds will act as wind chimes. Plant material will also create sounds in a healing garden, most notably are the ornamental grasses that will rustle in a breeze.

Summer Plants Add Fragrance and Movement

Spring and summer flowering plants add fragrance to a healing garden. While some also add visual movement or dance, like tall spider daylilies, in the wind.

Herbs like tall lemongrass, basil, sage or rosemary are aromatic plants. Lavender, widely used for scented sachets, has cool blue or purple flowers.

Gardeners can choose a tree, shrub and flowering plant, all with fragrant blooms as a basis for their healing garden. Pine, cedar or magnolias for trees, lilacs or elderberries for shrubs are possibilities. One example, a magnolia, lilac and peony, in one planting bed is a good start for a healing garden and spans bloom times.

The Buddleia is one example of a flowering shrub that will bring many wanted characteristics to a healing garden. The cool-colored flowers attract butterflies and birds with fragrant panicle-shaped blooms that bob in the wind.

Horticultural Therapy

A healing garden is a restful place to reflect and meditate. For many professionals, horticultural therapy has been a way to use their plant knowledge to help people physically and mentally heal.

Horticultural therapy also promotes creating barrier free environments enabling anyone who wants to, to garden. Professionals know that working in a garden offers an opportunity for fresh air, moderate exercise and outdoor light.

Healing Gardens at Home

A healing garden helps to soothe a person’s body, spirit and mind. It is possible to create a healing garden at home with strategies that bring the scents of flowers, sounds of nature and calming colors together. Gardeners, who add a comfortable place to lounge, have made a healing garden among outdoor flowering plants.