Learn the key elements for transforming a backyard into a true sanctuary

By Carolyn Mason

Gardens designed to restore and heal the body, mind and spirit have been around since medieval times. But as non-traditional medical therapies have become mainstream in recent years, interest in healing gardens has bloomed into a landscape design trend.

Large institutions such as children’s hospitals, cancer centers, nursing homes and burn centers have recorded evidence-based success with therapeutic healing gardens on their campuses, and landscapers report residential clients eager for the same healing elements in their backyards.

You don’t have to be a yogi to guide your clients through the process of creating a healing garden, but you should be aware of the common elements found in holistic landscapes. Utilizing them may be as simple as placing a piece of statuary under a vine-covered arbor or as complex as constructing an intricate paved stone labyrinth. The uses for such spaces range from meditation, exercise and simple relaxation to providing healing herbs and fragrances and textures that can help clients with illness in their recovery process.

“When I design a space for prayer, meditation, exercise or yoga, it’s a safe haven,free from distracting noises or distraction from neighbors.”

Assessing Client Needs

P. Annie Kirk, owner of Red Bird Design in Portland, Oregon, says her process for designing a meditation garden begins with an online questionnaire prospective clients fill out before their first meeting. The information helps her gauge her client’s gardening expertise and evaluate his/her current and future vision of the garden. “Each garden should be tailored for the individual and reflect his or her life experiences, desires, hopes and vision for the space,” she says. “One person may find a koi pond relaxing and the fish spiritually refreshing, while another person sees it as something that has to be cleaned, maintained and the fish as something else that needs to be fed.