Serenity in the Garden

Roger Ulrich (of Texas A & M University) found that viewing natural scenes in a hospital aided in recovery by  evoking positive feelings and reducing stressful thoughts. Now, Matilda Annerstedt of the Swedish University of Agricultural Science discovered that we recover faster from stress and our body returns to a normal, harmonious state after exposure to nature and nature sounds as compared to an ordinary indoor setting. It seems the nature sounds triggered a significantly higher activity in the parasympathetic nerve system which, in turn, calms us.  The active effect of natural sounds on our wellbeing indicates that we need to add sounds to a hospital setting, right? Little research has been done in the field of sounds but I think birdsong will do a lot in helping our bio-physiological recovery from the stress of urban life.  

Red Obelisk European Beech  Red Obelisk European Beech is a 2015 Cary Award winner and for good reason! It is a narrow, columnar tree with wavy, lustrous, burgundy-black foliage all spring and summer.  Ideal for tight planting areas, it can grow 40 ft. high and no more than 10 ft. wide after several decades.  Tolerant of urban pollution so it is good for city landscapes.  Red Obelisk European Beech Tree It is a pest-free cultivar, shows good tolerance to road salt, compacted soils and a little light shade (which reduces the intensity of foliage color). In fall its foliage turns coppery-bronze, holding for weeks, eventually dropping to display a distinct winter-branching outline against the sky. Plant it  for a strong vertical accent.  Or use several trees to form a hedge. Young Red Obelisk trees Red Obelisk is quite tolerant of soil conditions - it needs adequate drainage but other than that, fares well in almost all soil types...

Here is an eclectic batch of serenity in the garden photos...Enjoy! Sedum 'Mastro' - doesn't flop over like others! Purple leaves add a quiet note to the garden . Marbles in water in a Stone Basin.  Light splashing through the leaves on a summer day. Purples, light green, silver and burgundy contrast with a steel wall structure .  Gossamer wings on a butterfly. Garden of Visceral Serenity by Yoji Sasaki Miss Saori Hydrangea -  RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2014 - Plant of the year / RHS ...

Source: Fix.com