Immerse yourself in nature

Do you feel connected and energised while gardening, or does it feel like a chore? Our research highlights ways to deepen engagement, enjoyment and connection to gardens.

There are known benefits of spending time in natural environments. You will have likely noticed feeling more relaxed or alert after spending time in nature. You may also notice a greater sense of connection to the wider natural world. This feeling of being connected with nature is known to strengthen our desire to care for nature. What can we do to deepen these connections?

Engaging with nature

The benefits of spending time in nature are not necessarily automatic. While paying attention to nature helps us feel connected and refreshed, our minds are often preoccupied with something else. Researchers are exploring how we can re-engage with nature to make the most of experiences in natural environments – from forests to our backyards.

Forest bathing is increasingly recognised as a way to engage deeply with nature. Known in Japan as shinrin-yoku, it involves immersing in nature by paying attention to the sensory experience, and has been found to benefit mental health (e.g. depression and anxiety) and physical health (e.g. reduced blood pressure and boosted immunity). Not everyone has access to forests, but similar benefits can be found by tuning into the sights, smells, noises, tastes and tactile sensations of other natural places, including gardens.

Greater awareness of the sensory experience in nature can boost connection because we become more immersed in, and closer to, the natural world. Sensory engagement can also re-energise us because engaging with pleasant and interesting environments can rest our minds.

Engaging in nature also relates to our ‘internal’ experience – that is, how we think and feel while in the garden. Paying attention to our own emotional connections with nature and taking time to reflect on these can boost nature connection by creating more positive and meaningful associations between ourselves and nature.

Practice makes perfect

There are many ways you can practice deeper engagement with nature. Listed here are some research-supported practices that have been shown to boost nature connection, and suggested ways to bring them into your time in the garden.

Mindful engagement involves focusing on the present moment. Instead of thinking about the past or future, try paying attention to sensory experiences and your own feelings while in nature. For example, in your garden you might notice the smell and feel of the soil while weeding. You can also practice mindful engagement while walking through or sitting in your garden, by actively observing colours, shapes and sounds.

Experiencing wonder and delight in nature involves moments of awe and joy at the unexpected or exciting. Try viewing your own garden with ‘fresh eyes’ – as though you are visiting someone else’s garden for the first time. One approach is to pay attention to the changing and moving features of your garden. For example, look out for new buds or flowers, roaming wildlife (from possums to bugs) and changing seasonal colours.

Meaning-making activities involve exploring your personal connection with nature and place. Consider how your garden symbolises other aspects of your life or represents your personal values. For example, when you are in your garden, find your favourite place, tree, plant or bird and reflect on why they are meaningful to you. Is there a personal story or a sense of cultural significance attached to these?

Designing gardens for connection

The design of natural environments can also help us engage more deeply. Here are some design ideas that you can bring into your own backyards that can support sensory engagement, wonder and meaning.

To create a heightened sensory experience in your garden, consider how you can introduce varied textures, smells and sounds. For example, choose a range of scented plants for an area of the garden, or select a diversity of colours, shapes and textures to layer in your planting. You can create experiences of wonder with ephemeral and changing elements. For example, plant species that change significantly with the seasons and attract wildlife. Having some wilder areas of the garden can also evoke wonder.

Building meaning in your garden involves embedding your personal values, creativity and story. Consider aspects of your garden that will prompt reflection, such as using plants that have some social or cultural significance to you. Seating and pathways can be situated to promote reflective moments.

Engaging more deeply with nature is now more important than ever as the potential for our disconnection from nature grows. Spending time in our gardens can strengthen our connection with and care of nature in  our backyards and beyond.

Written by Rose Macaulay, PhD Candidate, Uni Melb and Prof. Kathryn Williams School of Ecosystem & Forest Sciences, Uni Melb.