5 Landscape Enhancements to Lift Your Mood

We’ve all had enough. The trending “COVID fatigue” description is real. We’re stir-crazy from staying at home, sick and tired of talking about how many people are sick, and hopeful that 2021 is healthy, safe, and a whole lot better than last year. But why wait for brighter days if you can do something to lift your mood now?

Spending time outdoors increases your vitamin D levels, which can reduce the likelihood of depression. Outside time encourages exercise—triggering mood-boosting endorphins—and can improve concentration. In fact, a study published in Landscape and Urban Planning showed that gardening can improve our moods as much as exercises like cycling and walking. Plus, flowers have an immediate effect on happiness. This is no surprise and proven by a Rutgers study of how flowers improve emotional health. 

Goodbye, COVID fatigue. 

But what are practical ways you can leverage your landscape as a “happy place” as we climb out of this pandemic? Here’s our COVID response: five landscape enhancements we suggest to property owners in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. 

#1 Grow a Garden

You don’t have to do all the dirty work or deal with the labor of digging out a plot, building raised beds, or hauling in soil and amendments. Turn the hard labor over to the pros and enjoy the finer side of gardening—discovering new plants, tending to veggies and herbs, and cooking the bounty. Regular garden maintenance can take the burden of weeding off your plate so you can truly reap the health and mental wellbeing benefits of gardening at home.

 

#2 Add Color 

Large containers are an ideal way to display annual plantings because you can easily change out varieties for spring, summer, and fall. Perennials are a more permanent color solution for landscape beds, and there is a range of hardy, vibrant options heading into spring 2021.  Heading into spring 2021, look for hardy hydrangeas and knockout roses that offer continuous blooms. Simply planning a new color palette during the gray days of winter can brighten your mood. Why not create an inspiration board with the colors and varieties you love to share with a landscape professional at Neave Group that can dig in after the spring thaw?

#3 Create an Outdoor Room

There’s no place like home these days—but life inside in front of the screen becomes monotonous. We all need to get out! Even if that means carving an outdoor space for relaxation, recreation or entertaining. Consider a hardscaped patio and seating, a fire pit for cooler-weather gatherings or a relaxing water feature. Additionally, landscape lighting allows you to use your outdoor spaces after dusk while enhancing safety. 

#4 Tidy Up Your Landscape

There’s something cathartic about cleaning up—and that includes refreshing your landscape by pruning plants, shrubs, and trees. You can take ages off of your landscape by pruning. Not only does clearing out dead or dying branches clear views, but it also protects plants by allowing healthy branches to grow and thrive. 

 

#5 Plan a Pool Project 

Now is the time to plan a luxury pool project so you can enjoy the summer months at home, especially during times when we’re hesitant to travel. You don’t need to book a resort trip to lounge in the beach entry of a modern swimming pool or share cocktails in a spa with automated lighting so you can set the mood to relaxation or celebration. Check out Neave Pools’ free guide to pool design for ideas and what to expect when building a pool.

Kick-Off the New Year with a Fresh Landscape 

At Neave Group, we’re celebrating a new season after a tough year by providing ideas for enhancing your New York or Connecticut landscape. Tell us what would make your landscape a better place to unwind and entertain. Or, ask us for a free site consultation and we’ll give you the type of personalized landscape enhancement inspo you can’t find on Pinterest. 

 

Contact us at 914-271-7996 in Westchester, 201-591-4570 in New Jersey, 845-463-0592 in Hudson Valley, and 203-212-4800 in Connecticut. Or, fill out this simple form and one of our landscape experts will reach out to you.