Energy Now: Designing a Garden That Gets You Going

It is frequently said that the most successful people rise early, set the tone for their day and start being productive while many of us are still hitting the snooze button on the alarm clock or reaching for that third cup of coffee. What if we could purposefully design a portion of our gardens to help set the tone for our days, to help revitalize, motivate and energize us?

In previous ideabooks we have looked at how to create certain moods and elicit certain emotional responses in our gardens through purposeful design, whether we want to feel relaxed and nurtured or childlike. Much of this type of design speaks to us on a subconscious level, influencing us in a variety of ways.

Let's now discuss how to design a garden that will infuse us with the energy we need to confront the challenges of daily life.

Mix Colors

This garden, with its understated green tones and serpentine bed lines, oozes restful tranquility. It's a perfect place in which to relax and regroup after a hard day at the office.


Here we see a garden that has a similar layout, with beautiful serpentine bed lines. It's difficult to miss the focal point to the left. Notice your emotional response to this garden as compared with the previous one.

Bright color in a portion of your garden, whether through plants or a painted bench or pergola, will give you a burst of energy when you need it most.


Do you need even more color for that morning jolt? Warm colors such as red, orange and yellow will give you the fix you need to begin the day on a productive note.


Evaluate Plant Shapes

Large trees such as these conifers can add a sense of grandeur to almost any garden. Trees with weeping or pendulous forms tend to help us feel relaxed.


In contrast, these Italian cypress trees (Cupressus sempervirens, zones 7 to 10) create a different feeling. Their narrow, upright forms infuse the space with energy, especially combined with the bright orange umbrella.


Rethink Your Seating Area

This seating area is tucked into an alcove in a lower portion of the garden. Surrounded by green foliage, the stone bench is a nurturing destination point.


This bench, perched high above the surrounding landscape, has a totally different feel. Instead of feeling tucked away and nurtured, a visitor to this garden feels like the master of his or her domain. Raising your seating area higher in relation to your surroundings will help fill you with productive energy, creativity and confidence. In nature the dominant bird in the flock sits highest in the tree.


Add a Water Feature

Water may be used in many different ways in a garden. Here we see a naturalistic water feature, one that inspires tranquility and relaxation. The appropriately chosen ferns and moss add to the feeling.

Water plays an important role in the ancient art of feng shui. In this tradition water should always be moving, with water features positioned toward the viewer. This setup is said to bring vitality and wealth to the viewer.


In this garden the designers used the same principle but created a totally different vibe from the previous garden. Again, water is moving toward the viewer, but the materials and trough-like rills create a more energetic, less relaxing feel.


Consider Sculpture

Garden art adds an extra dimension to almost any landscape. Appropriate sculpture not only can decorate a space but can influence moods and challenge thinking.

This Buddha does exactly what the designer of this garden had in mind: brings a sense of tranquility and relaxation to the space. Its position and sedentary form quietly call us to linger and enjoy a respite from the daily grind.


This sculpture creates an entirely different vibe. The jubilant raised head and arms, paired with a jolt of implied movement, create a happy burst of energy to set a positive tone for the day, conveying that the sky is the limit.

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