CONTRIBUTOR | OUTDOOR OASIS
FEATURED ADVERTISER EDITORIAL
LANDSCAPE FOR HEALTHY LIVING BY DAVID PAYNE
SOME MAY THINK OF LANDSCAPING SIMPLY AS A WAY TO INCREASE CURB APPEAL. SOME MAY THINK OF IT AS ARTISTIC EXPRESSION. Others may consider it a method to increase the economic value of real estate. I challenge you to think about the true benefits of landscaping and its unmitigated ability to improve your health and environment. Access to green space, even if it’s just sitting quietly in your backyard for twenty minutes, is a proven way to reduce stress by quieting the mind and lowering blood pressure. Imagine designing a space of total immersion for your family just steps from your home, accessible whenever needed. Investing in water features to soften the sound of the neighbor’s noisy dog or planting a row of quick-growing
90
HOMEDESIGNDECORMAG.COM
shrubbery such as holly to screen a busy road enhances the peaceful mood in your outdoor spaces. Planting the right trees and shrubbery in proper spaces in the yard has the added benefit of purifying the surrounding air and decreasing the effects of urban pollution by increasing oxygen levels in the air—a win-win for your family and the environment. Designing and installing a beautiful lawn surrounded by landscaped beds is an enjoyable way to add recreational space in the backyard. From a game of badminton to a spot for your outdoor yoga practice, it can be a private meditative space in a busy suburban setting; an oasis in a hurried workday cycle. Landscaped beds planted with perennials and colorful annuals create beautiful garden scenery, and the softness of a lush lawn can calm the mind and literally cool the body. Lawns can be much cooler than hardscaped
