Besides the well-being we get by walking through and/or working in our gardens, gardening is being used as a therapy tool for the elderly, returning veterans, and the mentally and physically handicapped, to name a few. I had the good fortune to have Diane Relf as one of my horticulture professors at VA Tech. She was revolutionary in the field of Horticultural Therapy—in fact, I believe she may have coined the term and received the first PhD in that discipline. She really opened my eyes to the feelings of well-being that plants and gardens can give us. Many of us know how therapeutic it is for us to work in our yards...and the views from inside to outside are so important to me in my garden designs. I know the feelings of pleasure, peace, and delight I get on a daily basis just looking out the windows into my own garden. It relaxes me. In my case, I’m not a fan of the starkness of winter so I need to see lots of evergreens worked in. This definitely lifts my mood on those cloudy, bitterly cold days. When you think about it, your garden is enjoyed as much from the inside as the outside, so consider all perspectives: from each window inside, driving into your driveway, walking up and back down the front walk, walking through the entire garden and seeing the changing vistas, and turning around and seeing the opposing views coming back. Plants and structures can block undesirable views. Don’t forget to “borrow” the views of desirable elements outside your property—these views are free and you can capitalize on them and frame them. It’s all about the moments of joy and pleasure you get from these experiences. They can really add to the quality of your daily life.

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