A person jogging on a wooden footbridge surrounded by lush greenery. The bridge has curved railings with a netted design, and the pathway is made of wooden planks.

Health

When you design your garden, think of a quiet, private, enclosed place — even in a busy backyard.

Healthy Gardens, Thriving Landscapes

Cultivate health through your landscape

Home landscapes can do more than look beautiful, they can support mental well-being, encourage physical activity, and offer a daily connection to nature. Thoughtful design choices promote healthier ecosystems while creating spaces that restore and recharge the people who use them.

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Spending time in gardens has been linked to lower stress, reduced risk of chronic disease, and improved mental well-being.

Home landscapes offer a safe space for play, social connection, and daily physical activity—all of which support long-term health.

Trees and vegetation filter air and noise pollution, creating more peaceful, restorative environments right outside your door.

A scenic view of a forest with a hammock tied between two trees. The sun is setting in the background, casting a golden glow over the landscape, with a person relaxing inside the hammock

Why is human health and well-being important?

Our gardens and home landscapes are where many of us have our only daily contact with outdoor, natural environments. This connection to the larger web of life is especially important to the more than 80 percent of Americans who live and work in highly urbanized areas. Also, physical activity and exercise can improve mental health by reducing feelings of depression and anxiety and promoting psychological well-being.

The role of health in a sustainable garden

Gardens and home landscapes provide spaces that are away from distractions, such as noise from mechanical systems, building and facility operations, and traffic. These spaces create a comforting sense of enclosure, and vegetation can break, guide, deflect, or filter the noise and other less desirable environmental conditions, such as excessive winds or prolonged sun exposure.

  • Broad-leaved trees reduce noise more than conifers.
  • Creative, meandering pathways maximize on-site physical activity.
  • Implementing a food-producing garden can minimize one’s exposure to pesticide residues found on most conventionally grown, store-bought produce.
  • Permanent and temporary art installations promote visual and aesthetic interest throughout the garden or home landscape.
A garden pathway made of large, round wooden stepping stones, surrounded by tall grasses, flowers, and evergreen trees. In the background, a wooden lounge chair is visible, adding to the tranquil setting.
A serene backyard garden featuring a well-maintained lawn, surrounded by various green plants, shrubs, and colorful flowers. The area has a calm and inviting atmosphere.

Transform your landscape into a wellness space

Home landscapes offer a place to gather with family and friends, a safe place for children to play, and a personal, quiet respite from the stresses of life. They offer opportunities for physical exercise, which can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers, and they provide places for mental restoration, which can reduce the risk of hypertension, mental fatigue and irritability. Plants in a home landscape cleanse the air we breathe, removing pollutants that trigger asthma and other respiratory illnesses and foster habitat for wildlife that provide other benefits.

Sustainable vs. unsustainable gardens

sustainable landscapeunSustainable landscape
Use natural resources and materials to create a healthy environment for plants, animals, and people. Often treated with synthetic pesticides and volatile organic compounds.
Provide opportunities for spending time in nature, which can reduce stress and improve emotional and physical well-being. Are sometimes designed without opportunities for physical exercise in mind.
Well-planned lighting and layouts provide better dark-sky environments for nocturnal wildlife. Outdoor fixtures waste energy and create light pollution.

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Explore additional resources to improve health and well-being in your sustainable garden. Learn strategies to promote plant vitality, support biodiversity, and create healthier outdoor spaces.

Design for Well-Being
Limit Toxins in Your Landscape
Reduce Light Pollution
Integrated Pest Management

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