Covid-19 has proved an immensely difficult time for children, parents, grandparents, adults, business owners, families, and communities across the globe. The pandemic has touched us all somehow on a global scale. However, one thing that has stayed consistent is nature and the benefits nature can bring to our mental and physical wellbeing. Harrogate Garden Design believe in creating ‘little bits of heaven on earth’. Using Biophilic design principles, we design outdoor spaces that will benefit future generations both physically and mentally. We hope that our appreciation of nature and its healing benefits will continue way beyond this pandemic.

HGD created the ‘Escape your Mind’ garden to remind us of the positive effects we can all derive from nature. The garden includes elements that automatically and naturally calm our minds. These elements include well-connected space, healthy plant life, freshwater, natural materials and patterns, opportunities for contemplation, a feeling of refuge, and views across the open landscape. Effective biophilic design creates natural habitats that satisfy our innate need for contact with the natural world. Humans are known to feel more alive when we can feel and experience nature.

We were elated to pick up a ‘Gold’ Award for this garden!

The pathway through ‘Escape your Mind’ is inspired by the ‘New York Highline’ – a great example of good, biophilic design.

Biophilia (according to a theory of the biologist E. O. Wilson) = an innate and genetically determined affinity of human beings with the natural world.