Zoning Out!

Zone out!

Create zones in your yard or garden, even if they’re tiny, so that users can, to the extent possible, develop their own sets of experiences, having options boost moods.

Some areas should be sunny and others shaded, for example.  Some should feature sets of seats, so that people can hang out with others and other zones should feature a single seat.

A single seat out of the view and acoustic range of others can provide the sort of privacy that’s vital to our mental health.  Seats at an open angle to each other (slight more than 90 degrees) will be particularly popular as they allow eye contact when desired, and gracefully support no eye contact when that’s best.

Some moveable seats can positively effect feelings of control among users, which is a mood booster.

Always incorporate some extra seats, we start to feel stressed when more than 70% of the seats in a shared space are in use.  Seats for those of us who are shorter or taller or wider than others increase comfort.

Don’t forget the Wood

Using wood with visible grain, on tabletops, decks, chairs, or anywhere else in a garden is relaxing.  And the patina that wood develops outdoors in use a real plus, psychologically.