A WELL gardened life

Landscape designer Franchesca Watson has long believed that gardens are essential environments nourishing our wellbeing. This is the first in a series of essays exploring how thoughtful garden design can enhance our lives in meaningful ways. Each essay will explore how design can support a richer, more balanced relationship with nature - beginning with the calm, transformative power of the restorative garden

- Franchesca Watson

Although it's the latest buzzword, the concept of restorative gardens is millenniums old. They're intended to improve one's well-being both physically and spiritually and restore one's mental energy. The idea is to create spaces that allow one to slow down, reduce stress and encourage feelings of joy and rejuvenation. Gardens have also been found to increase serotonin levels and lower blood pressure and anxiety.

Many gardens are individual and tailored to suit the user, but what they all have in common is a sense of order and serenity: calming water elements (appealing to our senses through fragrance and tactility), easy circulation and engagement with the garden through private areas specifically for lounging or seclusion. Often, but not always, the planting is soft, forgiving and naturalistic in style.