Why Outdoor Spaces Can Feel So Emotional

There is a reason many of us turn to our gardens when we need space to think, slow down, or simply step away from the pace of everyday life. They’re a place to just ‘be’ and tune into our senses outside our brains. We can watch the local wildlife, listen to the sound of birds or the running water from our water features, smell the scent of the flowers around us or rub our fingers on sensory plants like herbs. We’re able to ‘zone out’ of our heads and into a quieter space. 

This connection between gardens and wellbeing is now widely recognised. Gardens connected to hospitals, dementia care, and wellbeing settings are increasingly designed to create a feeling of calm and restoration — using planting, colour, texture and carefully considered layouts to help shape how people experience the space around them. By tuning our senses, we can also sometimes reignite memories long forgotten like hearing a familiar song on the radio. 

I find this particularly interesting when I listen to how people talk about creating their outdoor spaces. Why they selected certain materials, structures, objects, colours, and focal points, and how these choices contribute to how they feel when spending time outside. 

Garden artworks can contribute to this concept in a similar way. A carefully placed artwork can create a visual connection for us in a meaningful way. I know, from my own garden, how the sight of my artworks from the kitchen and upstairs adds to my daily routine in a positive way. Not only creating an important link between my home and my garden, but also influencing how I feel.

When thoughtfully placed, these visual elements can become part of the calm, atmosphere, and character that make certain outdoor spaces feel meaningful to us. I know that’s one of the many positive aspects my artworks bring to my own garden.