Creating Peace In Our Landscape

Lisa's Landscape & Design ♦ 02/14/2023 ♦ Leave a comment

 I think everyone’s acutely aware of what’s happening in the world around us. And while I think it’s important to stay informed, it’s also important for us to stay grounded and give our heads time to recuperate from the harmful noise in the background. Creating some of that peace in our landscape is a lot easier than you may think. 

Gardening For Purpose

For centuries landscapes have been used for food, flowers, art and sustenance. This practice is also one of mindfulness that many times comes in the form of therapy.
What constitutes therapy is very different for each individual. To me, working in the garden while getting a little exercise and sunshine is delightful, to others that may sound like work. This is where balance comes to play.

Start Small

The first consideration when creating a peaceful garden space is to just determine how much time you wish to spend in it. Prioritizing for time spent at work on flower and food, versus how much time you’ll spend at play. Creating a low maintenance, therapeutic garden is as simple as determining what is most important to you.

Lueder Stone

Onions

This eastern black swallowtail Lowes deal weed and fennel so be sure to plant plenty to share.

Tree Frog is a little cutie that sounds like a small dog. Night eater, great houseguest.

Anole Lizard, eats its weight in bugs, won’t tell your secrets.

The stunning Orb Weaver, eats her weight in pests and makes a great web that is a conversation piece for sure.

American beauty berry

Native bees without whom we could not live. So say thanks.

Water is the Sound of Tranquility 

Water features such as ponds are certainly more maintenance, but the tranquility and sound buffer they provide are well worth the effort for a small feature. 

Disappearing water features are very popular for their low maintenance and safety with small children and animals.

The custom feature below demonstrates how creative you can be with a myriad of vessels and rocks. 

Make The Most Of Any View

To find peace in our landscape choose a favorite focal point or several, and play it up whenever possible. 

Even the most intimate spaces can provide a peaceful place to rest and meditate. Fragrance and color are strong memory cues. Moving water can guide the neuronal waves that create a calming effect through white noise. A pleasant view is a recalibration tool that can boost your mood and improve your mental health.

Color And Texture

Surround yourself with your favorite colors, an abundance of flowers or an evergreen planting with interesting textures. Always choose native and adapted plants for low maintenance and low water needs.
Statuary, religious symbols and inspiring signs or plaques can also be a reminder of what’s most important. 

Your special place should be a distraction from the busy world. It should replenish and ground you with a peace that only nature can provide. Rather it’s a few pots next to a bench or an entire landscape of your favorite plants and trees, start somewhere and start now. 

If you’d like help with creative design and low water landscape ideas, contact me for a consultation or complete landscape design for Austin and the surrounding area. 

May peace be with you, 

Lisa LaPaso

Lisa’s Landscape & Design

”Saving the Planet One Yard at a Time”