Outdoor Views

As Spring moves forward across the Northern Hemisphere, you may be thinking of what to do with the landscapes surrounding your home.  Neuroscience research has a lot of useful information related to this topic. Scientists have determined how your into yard views can give you a wellbeing, mental performance boost, reduced stress levels, and help you feel refreshed mentally, whatever your age.

Neuroscience-informed best practices (which you may or may not be able to implement based on the size of your lot, distance from the street, etc.) include:

• Your outside view will have the most value to you inside when it seems that you could step right into it through the window—so try to avoid high hedges, etc., right against your home that create a hurdle for entering the space.
• If you live in a more temperate zone, tree to create a scene reminiscent of a meadow on a lovely spring day—very gently undulating terrain, a few clumps of trees with leaves, a peacefully flowing stream, prairie-type grasses and other ground plants. A few manmade elements in view are fine, say a gently curving path or a well maintained shed.  If you live in a desert or other area where a meadow is really not an option, come as close to it, using plants, etc., from your area as is ecologically and sustainably reasonable. In general, seeing a scene out your window that is consistent with the ecology (types of plants, etc.) likely to be found in natural areas near where you live is best.
• Seeing evergreen plants can make your view more refreshing.
• Diverse sets of vegetation on view are better for mental revitalization than plantings using only one or a few types of plants.
• We seem to have a particularly positive psychological response to seeing flowers, doing so cuts our stress levels significantly, so include them in your view whenever you can.
• Your home will be seen as more expensive and safer if it features sharp leaf vegetation rather than round leaf vegetation.
• Looking at green roofs (particularly those that seem meadow-like), your own or on other buildings, has the same benefits as seeing an on-the-ground meadow.
• Use wood furniture (especially options with warm finishes) whenever possible outside as research has shown that seeing visible wood grain in natural areas makes them more mentally refreshing to view. To be most relaxing to view from inside and to experience outdoors, make sure furnishings, upholstery, etc., feature more curving than rectilinear lines in 3- and 2-dimensions.
• A view of water is nice, but for best psychological results, that water view should also include some solid ground. The effects of water are very powerful: an otherwise bare courtyard with a fountain just a few feet high with gently flowing water in it is as mentally refreshing to view and puts us in as good a mood as a courtyard filled with a natural green space.
• If all else is impossible: place a plant filled window box outside your window—seeing the tops of those plants will mentally refresh you. Also, put your balcony to work for you if you’ve got one—add plants, natural materials, etc. The neuroscience of potted plants is discussed in detail in this article.
• Make sure whatever you do aligns with your principles. Concerned about the World’s supply of water? Choose a low water option, for example.
• For more information on designing in symmetry, balance, etc., read this article. Also search the keyword “symmetry” here.
• You can see as well as hear the world outside. If at all possible add plants, birdhouses, etc., to maximize the likelihood that you can hear sounds inside such as peacefully singing birds, gently rustling grasses and leaves and burbling water—it’ll mentally refresh you and elevate your cognitive performance and mood.