Garden & Home TeamThe mindful movement will transform your outdoor space into a tranquil oasis, no matter where you live. Here are eight ways you can move towards mindful outdoor living:
1. Hanging out
If you have the extra space, think about installing a hammock or hanging chair. The sweet sensation of swaying back and forth is not just for kids. If you have a beam that spans the edge of your veranda, you could even hang a simple timber and rope swing.
Klara Kulikova, Unsplash
2. Positioning
Reassess your furniture for prime position. One carefully placed armchair or an occasional chair that faces just the right part of the flower bed or catches the lingering afternoon sun when everything else is thrown into shade, or a cleverly placed side table alongside your sofa to hold books and that cup of coffee…that’s the way to approach your furniture. It means looking at your outdoor space and noting how you and the environment interact.
Ray Fragapane, Unsplash
3. Bringing the birds
Consider a bird bath, bird feeder station or strategically placed owl box. Watching the birds, catching their song, or the mighty hoot of an owl in the evening is a gentle reminder to step outside of our busy lives and brings the wild that much closer to your doorstep. Nothing like birdsong to encourage mindful outdoor living.
Bonnie Kittle, Unsplash
4. Green transitions
Blur indoors and out with greenery. As the space that bridges your indoors and garden, the veranda is a transitional zone, but people too often treat it as one or the other. One way to bring the outdoors in is by incorporating more potted and hanging plants on the veranda. Choose ones that tie into your garden’s theme, repeating them. That way, you’ll truly blend the boundary between in and out.
Jonathan Borba, Unsplash
5. Outdoor dining
Share an easygoing meal on the veranda or in the garden. It’s a no-brainer, given our outstanding climate. For such occasions, try to reduce fuss and flamboyance and think slowly. That means serving produce straight from the garden, breaking home-baked bread and enjoying clean, consciously, mindfully created dishes to share, connect and celebrate life rather than putting on a great show. An evening string of bistro lights or candles will maximise the atmosphere.
Bruce Mars, Unsplash
6. Being bee friendly
Pot up some plants that will attract pollinators. Catering for bees, butterflies, and insects is one of the most important things we can do to create a healthy and sustainable ecosystem. It’s been said that bees prefer violet, blue, white and yellow flowers. Mindful outdoor living means being conscious of the environment and our impact on it, too.
7. Go indigenous
Think perennial and indigenous. Perennials will reward you with a show year after year as opposed to their annual counterparts, and when they’re not in bloom, they provide lovely foliage. If you opt for indigenous ones, you’ll find they’re less maintenance as they’re naturally suited to our local climate. Many indigenous plants also naturally attract pollinators.
Elena Mozhvilo, Unsplash
8. Set the mood
Think lighting – soft lighting that is. Harsh overhead lights are a killer of atmosphere and mood. Instead of flicking the overhead switch, opt for low-glow table lamps on the patio or even candles to set the tone for a relaxed space in which to connect with the outdoors well into the night.
Written by Mila Crewe-Brown
Feature image via LIVING4MEDIA
READ MORE: HOW TO TAKE YOUR PATIO FROM DRAB TO FABULOUS
