Creating a simple garden sanctuary for year-round relaxation

By Jessica Damiano

For The Associated Press

With temperatures dropping and dusk arriving early, the firepit section of my garden has been on my mind.

It’s a simple setup. Eight colorful Adirondack chairs are arranged in a circle around a stacked stone hearth, surrounded, during the growing season, by easy-growing, low-maintenance button bush, hydrangeas, hosta, clumping Liriope and coleus.

And simple is what makes it special. The important part is the feeling it provides — unfussy comfort, serenity and relaxation.

The garden, after all, is a sanctuary — a place to hide, relax our shoulders and catch our breath while the rest of the world speeds by. Studies indicate that time spent in the garden lowers stress, but the types of plants don’t matter; our nervous systems don’t require a botanical showplace to unwind.

It doesn’t take much to give yourself the gift of peace — just a chair, a few unfussy plants that won’t become burdensome and some attention to detail. And if you can enjoy it year-round, all the better.

Sights, sounds and scents

Now’s a good time to start thinking about next year’s garden.

Large, native grasses lend a sense of calm when they sway in the wind. Flowers like lilacs, old garden roses, jasmine and sweet peas bring fragrant bliss. And the sound of a windchime or a steady trickle of water can provide meditative tranquility. There’s no need to get fancy; a small tabletop bubbler will do.

You don’t need a large yard either. Tuck a chair under a shade tree, install a window box or hanging basket, or line your balcony with potted annuals. Then just sit out there for five minutes, breathing.

Wild entertainment

Nature can handle some of the work for you. A birdfeeder or birdbath and some pollinator-friendly plants will provide plenty of entertainment, allowing you to zone out as birds splash and bees and butterflies flutter from flower to flower.

Create a habit

Now think up a small ritual that will bring you to your spot every day. Maybe it’ll be where you drink your afternoon tea, read your mail or write entries in your notebook. For me, it’s a walk around the garden every summer morning in my pajamas, coffee in one hand, pruners in the other, just checking on things before the day gets away from me.

These days, I sit on my porch for a few minutes when the weather allows, breathing in some crisp air before starting my day. Soon, I’ll sit out there with a pile of seed catalogs and my trusty highlighter, making a springtime wish list while watching over my dormant garden. And you can be sure I’ll wrap myself in a blanket and sit around the firepit on some mild winter evenings.

If it sounds simple, that’s because it is. And it doesn’t take much to gift it to yourself.

Damiano, a master gardener and educator, writes about gardening for The Associated Press.