Belgian hybrid Clivia with fern and Aechmea caudata in a corner of my garden

I remember when I first started gardening, I used to walk around my garden every single day, no matter what the weather, and by torch-light if necessary, to inspect what was going on. I knew the garden like the back of my hand. I noticed everything. Somewhere along the line, that habit disappeared. Recently, I have been reading an inspiring book by Gretchen Rubin called Life in Five Senses, in which she describes her project to explore being more aware of what she sees, hears, smells, touches and tastes, to bring a greater sense of presence, awareness and happiness into her life. One aspect of her project was to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, within walking distance of her home, every day for a year, to explore it with all her senses. There was no particular strategy involved: she simply had to go to the museum every day and experience directly what she encountered. According to Gretchen, she realised how much of the museum she had never noticed before, and she found every visit uplifting and exciting.

Freesia hybrid

Freesia hybrid

This reminded me of my long-abandoned daily garden visits and inspired me to start them up again. The benefits of such an activity are myriad! The first of these is simply savouring what's there in the garden right now - which covers every one of our senses. As I have talked about in a previous blog, this takes us out of autopilot and grounds us in the present moment. At the start of spring, some of the things that are captivating my senses are the brilliant colour of some rich red Belgian hybrid Clivia intermingled with some bright yellow and reddish-orange Aechmea caudata (pictured at the start of the blog); the sweet carolling calls of our friendly resident magpie family; the beguiling perfume of Freesia flowers; the softness of new growth on deciduous shrubs; and the crisp taste of snow peas from my vines! On a psychological level this attention on the raw data input of our five senses promotes relaxation, lowers stress and anxiety, and improves our mood. In Japan, 'forest bathing' is a practice where people just go and 'be' in nature to feel restored. People without gardens can achieve the same results by walking in a park or on a bush trail on a regular basis.

Simply being outside reconnects us with nature, which seems to satisfy an inbuilt human need we inherited from our long-distant ancestors who spent most of their lives outside. Various physical benefits to our health can accrue from the daily visit. We get our dose of vitamin D, so important for physical health. Exposure to light (especially first thing in the morning) can improve mood and also helps stabilise the circadian rhythm of our sleep patterns. In the garden, we get to breathe fresh air, rather than the stuffy artificially heated or cooled air as in our homes, and it is free from indoor pollutants. It is claimed that many plants produce compounds called phytoncides that we breathe in, which help boost immune function.

Self-sown seedlings of Orlaya grandiflora are a joy to find during a garden walk

Self-sown seedlings of Orlaya grandiflora are a joy to find during a garden walk

During the daily visit, we become so much more aware of what is happening in our gardens and the endless progression of the seasons, and the life cycle of our plants. We know first-hand what the weather is doing. Day after day, we can observe what buds have formed, what flowers have opened, what new leaves have sprouted. We can find unexpected self -seedlings that have sprung up and the new shoots of bulbs and herbaceous perennials peeping up for the first time in a season. We can see the changing hues of leaves in autumn. We can become aware of wildlife that inhabits our gardens.

Tuning in daily to the beauty and the miraculous transformations that occur in nature - the germination and growth of a tiny seed into a beautiful flower or fruit, a cutting taking root and growing into a whole new plant, the decomposition of grass clippings and weeds to form compost to enrich our soil - all can evoke awe, a complex emotion that takes us out of our narrow focus on ourselves and connects us in the present moment with an expansive feeling of wonder and amazement that is outside of our day-to-day experiences. Too often we tend to take for granted the extraordinary phenomena that happen in a garden! We need to remind ourselves to be wowed by nature on a regular basis. Experiencing awe has many positive effects on our wellbeing.

Overcrowded miniature Agapanthus need to be divided!

Overcrowded miniature Agapanthus need to be divided!

We can also see less-welcome things on our daily rounds: pests, diseases, dead or ailing plants, spent flowers and the presence of weeds! But this gives us the chance to act on these developments early and hopefully do something about them before they become a bigger problem. Plucking out a tiny weed is the work of a moment and beats struggling with a large, entrenched one later on. Nipping off a dead flower can promote new growth (it is useful to take a small pair of secateurs with you on the garden walk!). We can also notice when clumps of plants seem too congested, when a shrubby perennial is too woody, or a plant seems in the wrong place. I find that just walking around looking at the garden immediately motivates me to want to do some gardening, whereas often when I am indoors (especially on a cold, miserable day) I think I just can't be bothered with it!

One of my many garden journals recording ideas and observations

One of my many garden journals recording ideas and observations

On a cognitive level, being outside is said to help improve our memory, improve eyesight (mainly because we are away from our ubiquitous screens!), sharpen our focus and concentration, and enhance our creativity, as the brain shifts from the intense mental efforts required dealing with our day-to-day problems and with using modern technology, and becomes more free flowing and effortless. Certainly, I find that wandering around the garden 'just looking', brings into my mind, totally unbidden, many ideas for future plant combinations or improvements to the garden. Certainly, some are hare-brained, but others take root in my mind and eventually become a reality. In my younger days when I did walk around the garden daily, I always recorded my thoughts, observations and ideas in a gardening journal, and this is something I would like to start up again - otherwise the ideas tend to evaporate as surely as the morning dew!

It's good to know that just being outside can boost creativity in other spheres of our lives as well. On 1 September, this website celebrated its 15th birthday and after 526 blogs since that first tentative offering on 1 September 2008, I am often stumped for ideas. But walking around, just sensing the garden, usually brings up something to my mind to write about! Many thanks to my readers over the past 15 years for encouraging me to continue to do so.