Plants with BENEFITS
Just being outdoors in nature makes us feel good, and with a few simple additions, our outside spaces can seriously boost our wellbeing
Plants can lift our mood in so many ways. From invigorating scents such as lemon verbena and eucalyptus, to the vibrant colours of golden sunflowers, orange tithonias and dahlias in cheerful pinks and reds, they appeal to our senses and raise our spirits. Not to mention the frothy blossom that announces spring and, of course, the inspiring energy of annual plants that grow from nothing to giants in a matter of weeks – climbers such as morning glory and runner beans are all winners here! But perhaps the plants that make us happiest are those that attract and sustain wildlife: the pollen-rich flowers that feed our insects, and the trees that are home to all manner of life. Plant an open-branched tree or shrub where you can see it, and watch the birds amid the branches.
POWER OF TOUCH
Studies have shown that stroking a pet can significantly reduce stress levels, but running our fingers over a well-chosen plant can also be wonderfully calming. There are so many fabulously tactile grasses, and top of the list must be pennisetums, with their fat, furry heads (P. alopecuroides ‘Red Head’ has satisfyingly chubby flower spikes), the silky tassels of Miscanthus nepalensis and the feathery plumes of pampas grasses. The velvety leaves of lambs’ ears (Stachys byzantina) are delightfully soft to the touch, while it’s hard to pass a rosemary bush without running your hands along the brushy spikes and savouring the scent left on your fingers.
SCENTS TO SPARK JOY
There are plants that instantly calm us, with their fragrance wafting through the air, luxuriant and indiscriminate – such as lilacs and yellow azalea (Rhododendron luteum) on sunny spring days, or the headily perfumed regal lilies, star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), or angel’s trumpets (Brugmansia suaveolens) on hot summer nights. Then there are the more subtle plants that invite us to come to them, plunge our noses in and take a gorgeous deep breath. Savour the sweet, citrus scent of philadelphus (mock orange), really old-fashioned pinks such as ‘Mrs Sinkins’ (which makes a lovely edge for a path if your soil is gravelly and freedraining), or the superstar of sweet peas, ‘Matucana’. But best of all is a fragrant rose. Our top three are: ‘Madame Isaac Péreire’ – a classic old rose with a powerful, fruity perfume; ‘Lady Hillingdon’ – all subtle notes of lapsang souchong tea; and ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ – the quintessential old rose scent.
PLANT, EAT, REPEAT
Who can resist fresh peas straight from the pod (the Danes eat them for nibbles instead of crisps), or a cherry tomato still warm and fragrant from the vine? Even if you don’t have a vegetable patch, your garden can be full of delicious things to eat, savour and enjoy. You might know how delicious the tender leaves of mint, basil, and peppery rocket are, but what about nasturtium (both leaves and flowers) and even the soft new leaves of dandelions? Many shrubby salvias, stars of the late-summer garden, have foliage that smells of apple or pineapple, blackberries or even grapefruit – and the buds are tasty too, like little bonbons. But the sweetest treats in the summer garden are the tiny, intensely flavoured, jewel-like fruits of Fragaria vesca, the wild or alpine strawberry. It provides useful ground cover on thin, poor soil or in the shady spots between shrubs, but save some for sunny spots where your plant will produce more delicious fruit!
WHISPER IT…
A garden is a feast for all the senses, but one of the most underrated benefits of outdoor spaces is the delightful sound they can make. On a breezy day, hear the sigh of an old ash tree, the clatter of dry leaves on a winter beech hedge, the faintest rattle of dried seed heads on opium poppies or old-fashioned love-in-a-mist. Choose plants that make a soothing, whispering sound. For instance, twiggy young birches, swishing grasses and phyllostachys bamboos, or shrubs with small, hard leaves that rustle in the breeze such as hoheria or Nandina domestica.
FORM A SHIELD
A sense of privacy is important to help us feel relaxed. Even if you live in a city, you can create this with the help of evergreen screening. Griselinia littoralis is a fast-growing hedging plant from New Zealand with shiny, light green leaves that make a lovely backdrop for any planting. It’s often used in seaside gardens, as it’s resistant to salt-laden winds, but it will grow inland too, in all but the very coldest gardens. If you need instant height, bamboo is the answer, but choose a clump-forming variety, such as Fargesia murielae, rather than running bamboo. Or, if money is no object, go for pleached hornbeam trees that will knit together to form a screen above fence height – but be warned, they can cost hundreds of pounds. To make a private sitting area, train a grape vine over a pergola, and the leaves will soon make a roof, perfect for shielding you from both the sun and neighbours. Try varieties ‘Phoenix’ or ‘Lakemont’ to enjoy both fruit and foliage. If you’re not bothered about producing grapes, the ornamental vine Vitis coignetiae will give you showy leaves and dramatic autumn colour.
HEDGE YOUR SECURITY BETS
Feeling safe and secure in our homes can do wonders for our wellbeing, and one of the most natural ways to protect ourselves from unwanted visitors is to have a prickly hedge in the garden. Almost any form of pyracantha – a large, thorny evergreen shrub – will do the job, with the added bonus of lovely white flowers in spring and red, orange or yellow berries in autumn. The prettiest of the evergreens is probably Berberis darwinii with tiny, shiny holly-like leaves and clusters of orange-yellow flowers in spring. Berberis julianae offers ferocious thorns, sweet-scented flowers and long blue-black berries; it does well in dry shade. Berberis x stenophylla is ablaze with fat, yellow flowers in spring, when its dense, thorny habit makes it a favourite refuge for nesting birds. If you have room for native hedgerow plants, go for blackthorn. It gives you glorious blossom in spring, sloes in autumn and vicious thorns that should put off any intruder.