Green Jay Landscape Design

Green Jay Landscape Design

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Childhood is a magical time, filled with curiosity, creativity, and play. For these Montclair, New Jersey clients, it was important to transform their backyard into a child-centric play area that felt incorporated into the landscape.  Natural Play Areas are built with natural materials and foster different types of outdoor play and movement, and an appreciation for nature. With more and more children spending time indoors in front of screens, designing appealing play areas at home makes access to outdoor nature play easy and part of a regular routine.

Natural play features including a timber tower of logs, balance beams, and a vegetated tunnel.

Designing Natural Play Areas

We had a blast collaborating with our clients on what kind of play spaces were most desirable for their family. Effective play areas for children foster spontaneous play – where the kids can take the wheel and let their imagination run wild.

Woodchip trail meanders through the play areas, creating desirable space for kids to wander and explore.

We knew from past designs that woodland trails are a favorite for children – weaving through mature trees and lush underplantings, they inspire exploration, observation and a connection to nature.  We decided a woodchip trail would also serve as the connective thread between each play area.

We designed six unique play features using only natural materials:

  • Balance Beams – made of wood and log stumps. Helps develop balancing skills, coordination, spontaneous movement.
  • Timber Tower – a series of cut logs of different heights create a graduated surface to climb, building strength and agility and inspiring countless king of the hill games.
  • Boulder Scramble – a stack of varying size boulders to inspire future rock climbers and build body awareness.
  • Stone Bridge – crosses the faux stream bioswale and is a catalyst for imaginative play
  • Vining Tunnel – a wooden tunnel acts as a trellis for climbing hydrangea and creates a leafy passage or play house.
  • Council Ring – a kid-sized seating area of sitting boulders offers space to rest, discuss and contemplate within the landscape

 

Stack of boulders of various sizes makes for a natural jungle gym.
Climbing boulders with the vegetated tunnel and balance beams in the background.
Balance beam obstacle course and timber tower in the woodland understory.
Kid-sized sitting boulders form a rustic council ring.

In addition to these unique play areas, we incorporated the clients’ existing playset, setting it on a proper base of Certified Playground Mulch and connecting it to the other play features via woodland trail.

Clients’ play set, on a raised base supported by timber ties, sits directly next to the adult entertaining patio.

Another prominent feature of this backyard design is the flagstone patio, which we sited at the top of the backyard, next to the play area. This additional patio creates a relaxing area for adults to reside while keeping an eye on the children playing.

Newly constructed flagstone patio offers a fire pit entertaining area.

The existing patio of the house is small and can only accommodate a dinning table and grill. The upper patio offered an opportunity for a fire pit and unique views of the new backyard landscaping.

Landscape Construction: Making a Design a Reality

This project involved extensive site development before any planting or play feature construction. The backyard is sloped and mostly lawn, that had succumbed to soil loss from erosion. We knew we needed to add significant amounts of soil to reestablish a planting depth.

Renovated and graded lawn as viewed from new fieldstone staircase.
Fieldstone staircase construction and grading were completed during winter months.

Aside from the flagstone patio, we also needed to construct a fieldstone staircase to connect it to the lower existing patio. Large fieldstone steppers on a rammed Earth base, lined with a “boulder rail” continues the naturalistic aesthetic and feels as if it has always been there.

Fieldstone staircase with a boulder rail and river rock accents.
June photo of the new landscape after installing in early spring; early installs allow new landscapes to fill in by the peak summer season.

We started the masonry and site development in late fall, which is a great way to get ahead on the project and be slotted for early spring planting installation.

Erosion blankets help secure slope as turf seed gets established.

The remaining area of the backyard required a lawn renovation and additional grading. We completed this in November as well, using erosion blankets to secure the slope as the seed germinated. Spot seeding in the spring fills in any gaps from the November germination.

Creative Sourcing for Natural Play Areas

We had never built these kinds of play features before, so we had to get creative with our material sourcing. To construct the Timber Tower, we purchased trunks and large branches from a local tree company and had them cut to specified, varying lengths. We dug a pit, created a layout, and buried 18” of each log to secure it in place.

Buying logs from a local tree company to create the Timber Tower.
Burying cut logs at different heights to create the timber tower.

For the Boulder Scramble, we used granite curbing To create the base, then our masons expertly stacked different size boulders on top of each other securely.

Building the boulder scramble with granite curbing and varying boulder sizes.

Stormwater Considerations

Since the backyard is sloped, we knew we had to direct and manage stormwater. One side of the backyard naturally collected stormwater, so we decided to turn that zone into a rain garden and use a faux stream bioswale to funnel it that way from the top of the slope. A bioswale is essentially a trench with a gravel base, topped with decorative river rock.

River rock bioswale (with stone bridge!) directs stormwater.

This is a great example of incorporating stormwater management into attractive design elements, rather than using underground drainage infrastructure which is often more expensive and intrusive to install. In this case, adding a stone bridge across the ‘faux stream’ bioswale added another imaginative element to the children’s World of Wonder natural playscape.

Video Tour

If you loved this blog, check out our video tour with Jay himself!

 

Phase Two Landscape Installation

Now that the clients have the ultimate nature-based play area in their backyard, the next phase will be installing the front yard landscape this spring. The front yard is uniquely challenging, with a steep, shady slope and a history of ornamental bittersweet.

Contact us to start your landscape design project – we love creating family friendly landscapes to inspire the next generation of nature lovers.

The so-called river towns of Westchester County have an immense amount of charm—views of the Hudson! – as well as their challenges: steep topography coursing through small lots. This natural topography often creates very steep yards with little level space outside the footprint of the home.  For these clients in Dobbs Ferry, New York, expanding their functional backyard space to accommodate their growing family was a high priority. The backyard’s old masonry was not standing the test of time and required repairs and reconstruction to make it child-safe again. The clients hired us for a Landscape Design Master Plan for the whole property and decided to start with the backyard as Phase One for installation.  Below we detail the design and installation process for this complex, steep slope landscaping project.

Restored slope is erosion proof, has a softer grade and is incorporated into the landscape.
Landscape Design Master Plan for a woodland steep slope in Dobbs Ferry, NY.

Assessing the Site, Designing to Improve Function

The backyard of this property is about half slope and encircled on most sides by mature trees, making it a shady site.  Overgrown Burning Bush and Andromeda around the patio isolated the space from the rest of the yard. A narrow and crumbling set of stone steps led up the hillside to a deer trail. The landscaping was effectively shrinking the yard instead of complimenting and enhancing it.

Before photo: the slope is more of a boundary than an incorporated landscape feature.
Before photo: outsized shrubs on the patio border make the space feel more confined.d
Existing stone staircase is narrow, irregular and loose; it needed to be replaced.

We knew we had to reclaim the slope and make it a feature of the yard again. To do so, we designed a larger and more gradual fieldstone staircase to navigate the slope, culminating at a woodchip trail that runs the length of the backyard. Nature trails are one of our favorite ways to create a kid-friendly landscape. They encourage exploration, movement and have a sense of mystery and adventure.

The upper slope had potential to become a feature!

Grading the slope with significant amounts of topsoil would soften the grade and restore a planting depth of soil that had been lost after years of erosion. We designed a native woodland planting for the slope, featuring native flowering or evergreen shrubs, ferns, sedges, and wildflowers.

A hedge of native switchgrass conceals the iron fence dividing the front and backyard and blueberry shrubs are incorporated as a native, edible element for the outdoor classroom.  We even helped the client select the perfect native tree to plant to commemorate their son’s birth: a flowering dogwood.

Staging Materials & Project Management

Another challenge to this property is accessing the backyard. From the driveway, materials would need to be hauled up a significant staircase and through a gate to reach the backyard. Instead, we opted to temporarily remove part of the chain link fence enclosing the backyard to give us direct access from the road, a much more efficient staging area. Since the client has dogs, we made sure to secure the fence again at the end of each workday.

Hardscape: Fieldstone Staircase & Woodchip Path Construction

Beginning the staircase construction: laying a base for each step.

The first stage of this landscape installation was constructing the fieldstone staircase. We rented an articulator, a machine with extended range for the arm, to drop the large fieldstone steppers into place on the hillside, once the base was created. The base for each step is Item 4 and stone dust, a “rammed Earth” construction method that avoids using cement.

Master masons continue the fieldstone staircase construction.
GJLD crew finesses each stone placement by hand using crow bars and shovels.
Using a machine to place stones in the upper section of the staircase.

The woodchip path has a filter fabric base and several inches of Certified Playground Mulch on top.  We used fieldstone and cedar logs to line the path. At the far ends of the property, the woodchip path navigates the slope with cedar water bars acting as steps and erosion control.

Wood chip trail with cedar water bars and fieldstone.

Erosion Control Devices to Stabilize a Slope

Installed erosion socks and boulders set a foundation to stabilize the slope during storm events.

We installed two types of erosion control devices to help stabilize the slope and enable further grading: compostable erosion socks and boulders. The erosion socks are fabric tubes filled with woodchips that are staked into place along the hillside to create a physical barrier to interrupt stormwater and hold soil in place. They biodegrade over time.

Boulders do not biodegrade but are a constant physical barrier as well as an attractive garden accent.

Newly graded soil restores planting depth for new landscaping.

With the slope secured, we were able to add many yards of topsoil to the backyard, using a skid steer machine to move the soil while we finessed the new grade by hand.

Newly planted woodland slope with nature trail.
Beautiful fieldstone staircase is functional and invites your exploration.
Erosion socks and boulders secure the slope until the planting fills in and further stabilizes the soil with their roots.

Restoring an Existing Patio

Power washing the patio to remove mold and grime.

The clients existing patio did not have a proper base, and as a result the stones were shifting and no longer level. To restore the patio we took a three pronged approach: first we power washed the patio to remove the mold and grime. Next, we lifted every piece off stone so that we could create the proper base. Finally, we repointed the joints with stone dust to create a level surface.

Restoring the joints of the patio with stone dust.

Phase Two & Slope Landscape Progress

Stay tuned for more photos as this landscape matures! We can’t wait to see how this new landscape thrives. In spring of 2025 we will be completing the front yard as part of phase two. Follow us on socials to follow along! @greenjaylandscapedesign

To start your ecological landscape design or steep slope project, contact us today!

Nestled amidst a sloping topography, mature woodland and adjacent wetland, this contemporary Greenwich, CT home is sited amongst natural beauty, but is also prone to landscape drainage challenges.  A holistic evaluation of the property during the initial consultation and site visit led us to discover an underlying well issue that impacted our design decisions. Ultimately, the landscape drainage plan and planting design were sized to the water availability and a multi-pronged stormwater strategy resolved the pooling and intrusion issues. The timing was perfect, as winter can be the most dangerous time for landscape drainage impacts. Expansion and contraction from the freeze/thaw cycles of subgrade water against the foundation creates pressure and the potential for fissures and infiltration.

BEFORE: poorly chosen masonry materials and improper grading created landscape drainage issues.

Analyzing Landscape Drainage Conditions Holistically

There were clear signs of landscape drainage problems on this property. The existing drainage infrastructure was inadequate and during large storm events, the four gutters and leaders directed to the courtyard would overflow, flooding the courtyard. The surrounding lawn landscape pitched downslope toward the driveway, exacerbating the surface water sent toward the sunken courtyard.

Surface water from surrounding landscape is funneled down the driveway.

The existing bluestone patio in the courtyard was pitched improperly and directed stormwater toward the foundation. The patio was consistently covered in mold from the wet and shady conditions, creating a slippery surface and unhealthy respiratory stress. As an impervious space, it further inhibited stormwater infiltration.

The upper courtyard landscape bed above was planted with a monoculture of pachysandra, a notoriously inefficient plant for landscape drainage or stormwater absorption. Since pachysandra is an evergreen ground cover, it needs little water and has a shallow root system that barley diverts stormwater or secures the soil.

Beyond the Landscape: Asking the Right Questions

Another unique element of this property is the indoor swimming pool. The client had recently discovered a leak in the pool. The pool is connected to an auto refill (even indoor pools naturally evaporate) from the well holding tanks but was refilling at an alarming rate due to the leak.

When the client expressed concern about their well, we recommended they hire a well company to perform a well recovery test. Shockingly, their well recovery rate was only .75 gallons / minute. This is far too low for a family to live on. This critical piece of information shaped our design direction to phase in the landscaping until the well issue is resolved, instead of over-burdening the well with an extensive planting plan and irrigation plan.

Sunken Courtyard Stormwater Strategy & Design

After speaking with the client, we learned that although the courtyard is highly visible from within the home, the clients never used the outdoor patio. Its function was essentially view-only, and as an outdoor habitat for their box turtle. The family Labrador befriended the turtle, visiting it daily, like something straight out of a Disney movie!

We knew the bluestone patio had to be removed, it was not functional, and it was worsening the stormwater problem. Bluestone is slippery and moldy in cool weather and very hot in warm weather. Plus, once removed, we could install more sub-grade landscape drainage infrastructure. The bluestone patio was removed by hand and carried up a ladder to the driveway level.

Progress: bluestone patio removed, pachysandra reduced, and installation of drainage infrastructure begins.

We then installed a level spreader overflow pipe and drywell system.  By installing a T bracket on two of the existing leaders, the stormwater will still flow to the existing (unknown) drainage system below, but once that reaches capacity, it will exit into the level spreader.

T-bracket installation allows original landscape drainage system to function, and have an overflow system.

The level spreader consists of solid pipe for the first 10’ away from the foundation. It then switches to perforated pipe and connects to a flow well.

Stormwater Management Plan for a sunken courtyard in Westchester, NY.

Below the flow well is a three-foot vertical infiltrator, a perforated pipe extending down from the flow well, surrounded by gravel. The level spreader is overflow for the existing landscape drainage system, and the vertical infiltrator is overflow for the level spreader.

Level spreader installation in the courtyard directs stormwater away from foundation and allows it to infiltrate.

Gravel Garden & Grading

Another problem spot in the courtyard was around the patio, where the grade was inexplicably pitched toward a corner of the house, where it collected and caused intrusion. To remedy this, we regraded the entire area to properly pitch toward the new gravel patio.

In the corner, we installed a four-inch button drain (an exposed grate surrounded by gravel, with a edpm liner beneath to protect the foundation). The button drain is connected to a curtain drain (perforated pipe surrounded by gravel) which is pitched to the flo-well in the center of the gravel patio.

Courtyard and gravel garden designed for stormwater management.

To replace the bluestone patio, we opted for a Zen Gravel Garden: decorative gravel with boulder accents, all retained in an organic shape with aluminum edging. The gravel garden is aesthetically pleasing and allows stormwater to collect and infiltrate. All materials were brought in by hand, bucket by bucket down the ladder.

In the corners of the courtyard, we installed an impermeable pond liner apron along the foundation and covered it with decorative river rock, to protect the foundation and encourage evaporation.

Upper Courtyard Landscape Drainage

We also had to remove a stump and root system from an old Japanese maple. The stump and roots take up a significant amount of soil volume in the upper terrace, but do literally nothing for stormwater absorption, so removing the mass and replacing with new soil and planting was a significant improvement in biomass and absorption capacity.

Japanese Maple stump was removed to improve soil drainage capacity.

Rectifying a Slope & Mitigating Erosion

 Along the side of the house, a steep topography change and improper grading technique funneled water toward the house, eroding the slope in the process. Scouring of the soil was evident as well as a loss of soil depth.

We noticed one of the leaders had a broken elbow that leaked stormwater, exacerbating the landscape drainage issues. We replaced the elbow, installed a 20’ solid pipe directing stormwater to a new wagon wheel drywell, and re-graded the area.

A Wagon Wheel dry well consists of layers of perforated pipe arranged in gravel.

To create the wagon wheel, perforated PVC pipe was cut to 18’ length, laid sideways and horizontally, alternating layers, and filled with gravel to create enough of a void to improve infiltration. The entire system is encapsulated by filter fabric with 6” of soil to allow for lawn to grow above. This strategy only works with limited stormwater volume/flow and good soil infiltration rates, which can be determined by a simple percolation test.

In all these stormwater strategies, the objective is to relieve pressure from stormwater on the foundation walls. Modern construction requires two waterproof layers and an insulation layer around the foundation of the house, but many of the homes we work at are not up to code and need further steps to protect the integrity of the foundation.

Front yard landscape plan includes strategic planting to absorb stormwater.

Phase Two Landscape Installation

In the spring, we will return to install the planting along the driveway, which will contribute even more biomass and stormwater absorption capacity, intercepting sheet flow before it reaches the courtyard.

To get started on your landscape drainage or landscape design project, contact us today!

Another unique and challenging site involving a steep slope on a highly visible area, with years of erosion degrading the soil quality. Green Jay Landscape Design was hired to beautify the slope with a functional planting that would also stabilize the soil and prevent further erosion onto the street below. A suite of erosion control devices was deployed in this project, coupled with a site-specific plant palette that catered to all the microclimates.

Shady side of the slope featuring native ferns and woodland perennials.

Watch an interview with Jay Archer and Uziel Crescenzi below on the project!

Find more of our videos on our YouTube Channel.

Analyzing Slope Site Conditions

This roadside slope was planted with mostly vinca and pachysandra, both shallow rooted, exotic plants that did little to stabilize the soil, especially during storm events. As a result, the soil depth was low, and it lacked adequate nutrients. During site analysis, we mapped the various light conditions, with a full sun section at the top of the slope, progressing to full shade by the bottom of the slope.

BEFORE: exotic plants did little to prevent erosion on the slope.

Designing a Plant Palette for Erosion Control

The plant palette needed to include deeply rooted native plants to secure the hillside as stormwater moves quickly down the slope. Deeply rooted plants are also better able to access water reserves deep in the soil during periods of drought.

Deeply rooted prairie grasses in the full sun section of the slope preserve the structure of the slope.

This palette included many native woodland perennials, flowering shrubs, and ferns, as well as fast growing evergreen groundcover shrubs to maintain function during the winter months. The goal was to choose plants that would spread quickly to cover the slope, while also providing a variety of root depths for stabilization and look beautiful from the street!

Woodland perennials create a gorgeous contrast of color and texture.

As with all of our planting designs, ensuring a succession of blooms, from early spring to late fall, not only is visually appealing, but also supports critical pollinator species.

Erosion Control Devices for a Steep Slope

Until the planting matures, the root systems are less robust. We install with various erosion control materials to help support and stabilize the slope as the plants’ roots expand.

One example are erosion socks, cloth tubes filled with woodchips, that are staked into the ground across the slope to create a physical interruption. We surround the socks with high quality soil and plant around them. We use buried boulders for a similar purpose: interrupting stormwater flow, slowing it down and thereby allowing it to infiltrate into the surrounding soil. On this project, we also incorporated found logs, pinning them into the soil as an above-ground version of an erosion sock. The rustic, naturalistic aesthetic they provide to this woodland inspired garden is fitting.

Logs and boulders act as physical barriers to stormwater on the slope.
An earlier photo of the newly installed slope with naturalistic erosion control devices.

The soil brought into this project restored the organic matter previously lost to erosion. We also added biochar compost, which improves the water holding capacity of the soil as well as the soil structure. Soil structure is important because proper structure with air pockets allows plant roots to expand. Biochar is also a host material for soil microbes, which contribute greatly to plants’ immune response.

Planting into biodegradable jute netting, that stabilizes the new plants until they mature.

Lastly, we stake down jute netting across the entire site and plant directly into it. The netting secures each plant onto the slope and biodegrades over time as the plants mature. The netting is covered with mulch and not visible after installation.

Baffled bioswale is another erosion control technique for slopes.

We also constructed a bioswale with stone baffles (larger horizontal pieces of stone) which effectively interrupt and slow down stormwater, diverting it out to the sides where it can infiltrate into the soil.

Joe Pye Weed is a native late-season bloomer and pollinator magnet!

Slope Landscaping Project Outcomes

Now that this project is mature, we can safely say that the erosion control devices were effective in stabilizing the integrity of the slope, preventing erosion, and conserving soil. The planting has filled in nicely and continues to provide season-to-season habitat for wildlife and pollinators The clients and their neighbors are happy with the biodiverse aesthetic of the hillside, and enjoy watching something new bloom, seed or berry every week.

Contact us to start your landscape design or landscape installation project!

Spring time shot of the slope two years after installation.

If you want to learn more about stormwater management strategies that take a holistic approach, you’re in luck! Jay Archer will be presenting on landscape drainage at two industry trade conferences this January.

Tues. Jan 14, 2025 – Wed. Jan 15, 2025

The first is the Landscape Cod 2025 conference, taking place January 14th and 15th at the Hyport Conference Center in Hyannis, MA.

Wed. Jan 22, 2025

The second is the Michigan Nursery & Landscape Association’s Great Lakes Trade Expo on January 22nd.

Both presentations will cover how to evaluate drainage problems in the landscape, from observing the surrounding watershed, analyzing soil conditions, and gathering information about the extent of flooding or intrusion on the property and any existing drainage infrastructure.

Cultec installation for a landscape drainage project.
A rain garden designed and installed above the cultec adds habitat value and additional absorption capacity.

Jay will dive into case studies from Green Jay Landscape Design’s own clients, with a diverse selection of projects ranging from steep slopes to clay soil and reverse engineering existing infrastructure.

Stormwater management solutions we often implement for our clients. management solutions we often implement for our clients.

Learn about a number of solutions in the stormwater management toolkit and how to analyze and design a custom stormwater solution. You don’t want to miss these lectures!

Register today if you are an industry professional seeking to improve your landscape drainage knowledge with key takeaways from the trade.

Contact us to discuss your own landscape drainage project.

Spending time outside has long been associated with feeling better…but why? Does fresh air really do us good, or is there a more at play in our interaction with the natural world? At GJLD, we spend many hours a week in the landscape, and anecdotally, we can confirm the restorative qualities. But we also wanted the cold hard facts – is being in nature a placebo effect, related to being away from the daily grind, or are there quantifiable health outcomes from being outside? We did a deep dive into the research and found that there are significant health benefits associated with being in the landscape, largely due to the soil microorganisms beneath our feet, and the trees towering above us. We summarize the research below.

Soil Microorganisms and Human Health

Scientists studying our own gut microbiome discovered just how similar our gut bacteria are to soil bacteria. The theory is that they evolved alongside each other, over thousands of years, through the food that our ancestors ate. Our gut microbiome is known to influence our mood, immune system, and central nervous system. In fact, it’s colloquially called our second brain. As society becomes more urbanized, surrounded by manmade materials, and consuming a processed food diet, our gut microbiome has become increasingly less diverse. As land management turns toward industrial farming and synthetically maintained landscapes, soil microbe diversity is also decreasing.

Fortunately, restoring your gut microbiome is relatively simple: eat a high fiber diet (plants) and spend time in an organic landscape. Beneficial soil microbes, such as Microbacterium Vaccae, become airborne and are inhaled as we walk through the landscape. Gardening, eating off the vine, and playing in the dirt are other great ways to reconnect with these microorganisms, our so-called “Old Friends.”

Health Benefits of Soil Bacteria M. Vaccae

There have been many fascinating studies on M. Vaccae in just the last decade. Some findings on the link to human health include:

  • Increased serotonin levels and brain neuron growth – displayed in mice fed M. Vaccae. They completed mazes twice as fast and exhibited neuron growth in their brains. These mice also had increased levels of tph2, an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of serotonin.
  • Reduced stress and anxiety – mice in the study were 50% less likely to exhibit stress-induced symptoms like colitis (cellular damage to the colon). When exposed to a larger, aggressive mouse, they exhibited less anxiety symptoms and more proactive behavior. Scientists believe M. Vaccae could be used as a PTSD treatment in humans.
  • Reduced inflammation, improved immune response – M. Vaccae’s anti-inflammatory character affects our neuroinflammatory processes. When fed to rats, it enables their central nervous system to regulate more effectively and “mitigates the neuroinflammatory and behavioral effects of stress.”

Furthermore, children growing up in rural, agricultural environments were studied against city kids. The rural children (studied as adults) had better immune response during stress, and exhibited fewer allergies and lower cases of asthma. Researchers posit that exposure to soil microbes, especially as children, helps “educate” our immune system and shape our immune response as adults.

Trees, Forest Bathing & Human Health

Another body of research connecting nature to human health originated in Japan. Shinrin-yoku, which translates to Forest Bathing, became part of the Japanese national health program in 1982 to address a spike in mental health troubles, stress and suicide rates during the technical revolution of the 1980s.

Forest bathing combines meditative practices within a forest setting. To practice shinrin-yoku, carve out some time to sit or walk slowly through the woods, paying close attention to your breathing and five senses; allow yourself to notice all the sights, smells, sounds, and touch of the natural world around you.

Since the 80s, forest bathing has been studied extensively in Japan and around the world and linked to a wealth of health benefits. 

Stress, Anxiety & Depression Reduction from Forest Bathing

Forest Bathing has been shown to reduce stress and relax the body. On a physiological level, after a forest bathing session, study participants exhibited lower rates of salivary cortisol, lower pulse rates, lower blood pressure, lower sympathetic nervous activity and higher parasympathetic nervous activity than those in the control group.

Participants were also asked to rate their mood using the Profile of Mood States (POMs) before and after Forest Bathing. All participants showed an improvement in mood afterwards, but the change was especially notable in those participants with depressive tendencies: their POMs scores increased dramatically, and in some instances, their scores no longer differed from the participants without depressive tendencies. Stress inhibits immune system function, so reducing stress has the added benefit of improve immune response.

Phytoncides Effect on Our Immune System

Many of the health benefits associated with trees can be traced to phytoncides, compounds that trees and other plants produce to help ward off predators and invaders. The anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties of phytoncides are transferred to humans when we spend time in the forest and breathe in phytoncides as volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Multiple studies have recorded a correlated increase in a type of white blood cell our bodies produce – natural killer cells or NK cells – when inhaling phytoncides. NK cells are known to fight infection and cancerous cells and are a valuable component of our immune defense.

Improved Sleep Linked to Phytoncides

Two common phytoncides in trees are α-pinene and 3-carene. They “enhance inhibitory synaptic responses” which positively promote sleep in the same way that common sleep-aid pharmaceuticals work (they “modulate the GABAA BZD receptor”). One study found exposure to α-pinene and 3-carene “enhance[s] the quantity of [non-rapid eye movement sleep] without affecting the sleep quality.” 

Inflammation, Lung, and Heart Health Benefits

Phytoncides α-pinene and β-pinene have been demonstrated to have “antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antiallergic properties in humans.” However, the effects tend to be short-lived as they are volatile compounds in the body. α-pinene and cineole (another phytoncide) work as bronchodilators – making it easier to breathe – especially for those with asthma or other respiratory problems. Cineole is an active ingredient in cold medications because of its ability to thin mucus and relieve coughs. Camphene, another phytoncide common in conifers, reduced wheezing and coughing in one study.

Collectively these compounds promote better circulation and overall lung and heart health. A study compared heart and lung disease deaths in areas where forests were badly affected by Emerald Ash Borer infestations. Those areas with greater trees lost also had higher rates of lung disease deaths (6,112 more deaths) and heart disease deaths (15,080 more heart-disease-related deaths) across the fifteen states studied.

Key Takeaways: Optimizing Your Home Landscape for Human Health

So, how to take advantage of all these health benefits found in nature?  If you are fortunate enough to live near protected land (state or national parks, forest service areas, conservation areas), incorporate visits to these areas into your daily or weekly routine. (For our Connecticut readers – check out the Aspetuck Land Trust preserve and trails!) The healthiest change is the one you stick to, so creating a nature sanctuary on your own property is about as hyper local as you can get, all barriers to entry removed!

Work with a landscape designer to develop a plan for your property that is more than a pretty garden viewed from behind a window. Design a landscape that invites you out in its midst, to explore the evolution and notice the intricacies. Practically speaking, we follow these principals:

  1. Organic Landscapes Only – synthetic additives to the soil do not help cultivate soil microbe communities. In fact, synthetic nitrogen starves microbes of an essential plant-microbe exchange for food and nutrients. You will not reap the benefits of M. Vaccae and other “old friends” in an chemically treated landscape.
  2. Garden Paths Guide Experience – Create nooks and garden rooms throughout your landscape for spots of contemplation and meditation. A set of sitting boulders or stumps integrates into a naturalistic landscape and invites you to slow down and take it all in. If you have a woodland, consider creating trails through it for your own personal forest bathing loop. Paths also make garden maintenance significantly easier.

3. Evergreens – Evergreen plants like Cedars, Spruces, Conifers, Pines and deciduous Oaks have more Phytoncides and more potential to reap health benefits.

4. Herbs, Vegetables – Incentivize yourself to touch dirt and absorb more beneficial soil microbes by dedicating a spot in your landscape where you will garden, getting your hands in the dirt! Often a vegetable or herb garden is the most motivating for clients – fresh produce to harvest!

5. Keep it Interesting – a garden should be full of surprises; it should be constantly evolving. Design so that each week a new bloom emerges while another turns to seed or berry. Not only will the plant material evolve, but each element is a food source for wildlife. Delight in the hummingbirds, goldfinches, swallowtails and ladybugs that find solace in your landscape.

6. Water Features – Trickling water has psychological and physical benefits, plus it can attract birds to bathe and drink. Create your meditative sanctuary that engages all of your senses.

7. Scented Plants – Speaking of senses, nothing draws people close to a landscape quite like a sweet-smelling flower. Our favorite scented natives include Clethra, Itea, Agastache and Clematis. 

Contact us for help designing your dream landscape for mental and physiological health.