Welcoming the New Year in a Garden

As the new year begins with strong resolve and good intentions, we often focus on healthy pursuits such as exercise, reducing stress, and maintaining a positive attitude.  I propose time in a garden is a great way to keep one’s resolve for better living all year.

Asian philosophy has long believed that time in a garden nurtures one’s physical and mental health. Western garden thought also stresses the garden as a healthful activity; in 1699, The English Gardener wrote, “. . spend spare time in the garden . .. there is no better way to preserve your health.”

Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, theorizes much of today’s stress on children’s physical and emotional lives is linked to the lack of time spent in nature.  Paul Bloom, a Psychology Professor at Yale University, says that natural happiness is achieved when surrounded by trees, water, animals, and sky.  Phillipa Lewis, author of Everything You Can Do in the Garden Without Actually Gardening, asks,” Do we become nicer human beings under the influence of being in a garden?”  I say, “Yes!”  “In geographical regions where the population has greater access to beautiful green spaces, people report greater happiness and goodwill toward others,” says Dacher Keltner in his book AWE.

So, how do you maintain healthy resolutions by enjoying gardens? Begin in your garden.   A seat in a far corner of the garden can remove you from your phone and computer and give you a different perspective of your little piece of earth. Try placing a blanket on the ground, allowing you to gaze up into the sky, and a tree can energize you at any time and reach deep into your soul, finding awe in the beauty of nature.

My recent visit to Japan reminded me that one does not power walk through a Japanese Strolling Garden. Strolling gardens set you on a path around a pond with a hide-and-reveal principle that requires the visitor to walk to experience the garden fully. The path is designed to shape the visitors’ experience.  The stepping stones of uneven size require you to slow down and focus close at hand.

Slowing us down, we observe the texture and pattern of the stones.  As the stones even out, you raise your head and focus on a larger view, noticing a scene framed to be observed from just that transition.  A gravel path creates a different sound as your footsteps move you forward.  When the path moves uphill, requiring more effort, you will likely find a bench placed to provide rest and reflection overlooking the pond.  The sound of water may emerge, providing a calming effect.  The traditional curved bridge over the hide-and-reveal design layers sensory experience each step of the way. As with life, we can’t see the entire picture of our future; the garden provides a metaphor for navigating our own life, not racing through from beginning to end but fully experiencing the path we tread. The bridge over the pond symbolizes transitions in our lives.  The curved reflection of the bridge in the water creates a circle representing the continuity of earth and sky, the cycle of life.

Now, in the season of fresh starts, though we are gardeners, let’s allow some time to put down our spade and clippers and stroll through a garden. Perhaps, especially in these difficult times, we can keep those resolutions thanks to gardens.