How to Create a Serene & Relaxing Garden

Clear the yard if it’s overgrown, weed-ridden and haphazardly planted with species that neither fit with your local topography nor delight your sensibilities. Your trees may require the attention of an arborist if they’ve lost their shape over time and if your yard has become home to moles and other burrowing critters, shore up the integrity of the property by addressing such issues to get your serene and relaxing garden off to the right start.

Talk with local nurseries or agricultural agents. Obtain a list of recommended species that will thrive within the garden you’re creating so you don't have to spend lots of time researching plants, shrubs and flowers for your relaxation garden. Importantly, natural installations designed for contemplation and reflection most often are designed as shady areas, so pick plants, shrubs and flowers that thrive without a lot of sun.

Draw up a garden plan. Measure the area you’ve set aside for your garden, identifying land reserved for the installation’s focal point: One element that anchors the garden visually and spiritually. Perhaps you plan a meditation pool, a rock garden or trellises and benches to carve out a seating area. Until you determine the amount of space your focal point will occupy, don't buy plants or flowers to fill the periphery or you could wind up with too many.

Construct your garden’s focal point. Locate benches around the feature if your vision calls for permanent seating. Run electrical lines to strategic points within the garden, including your focal point so it can be illuminated during the evening hours or at night. Create a walkway, trail or path that extends from the garden’s entrance to the center using your favorite materials. Gravel, terra-cotta bricks or lines of stepping stones allow you to stroll around without disturbing the plants and ground cover.

Plant ground cover, grasses, shrubs and flowers according to your diagram. Arrange low- to no-maintenance perennials throughout the yard that bloom in stages based on your geographic planting zone and seasonal temperatures. Place tall shrubs, bushes and flowers against walls with smaller species in graduated rows to achieve more harmony. Vines and climbing plants can enhance a trellis; low-lying perennials work around your pool or water feature. Add a gazing ball or sculptures – in moderation – so the garden remains serene and relaxing.