Nature has such a life-enhancing effect on us that some researchers have likened it to a vitamin - vitamin G (green) - that our bodies need to function well, and recommend that we take a daily dose.
It's official: green spaces are good for you. According to a new book RHS Your Wellbeing Garden* research has found that exposure to green brings tangible health benefits. So go ahead: write yourself a prescription to feast your eyes on nature and enjoy your garden. And whilst you're at it, bring them indoors too.
This news, plus a bout of wintry weather, gave us the perfect excuse to take refuge in our 'Potting Shed'. Ideas started to germinate and one by one, we recreated nature's palettes in Colour Picks of our own shot cottons, for you to bring the garden inside.
Musing over greens, we were enthralled by the variety of shapes and textures of Fern, Ivy and Mistletoe.
Our thoughts moved on to the flowering plants that bring us pleasure. Who could suppress a smile at the first Daffodils of spring or a nodding Sunflower in the height of summer?
We mused over the diversity of patterns and colours, from the vibrant hues of Sweet William to the muted tones of Wisteria.
We noticed how the shades and shapes of some plants force us to admire their complexity: the architectural seedheads of an Allium or the dazzling colours of a Marigold, for example.
It dawned on us that our 'Potting Shed' reflections had developed into a full-blown sensory experience: plants known for their scents - Sweet Pea and Peony, some whose flavours make the mouth water – think Bramble and Forest Fruits, and others - like Fern fronds - which waken the sense of touch.
Our Colour Picks re-create nature's namesakes, bursting with saturated colour, their complementary and contrasting shades working in perfect harmony. Others are studies in monochrome, combining tints, tones and shades of a single colour. New combinations join established favourites in the sensual feast that is an All-Year English Garden. Go on, immerse yourself in our sensory experience and give yourself the ultimate reboot.
* Extract from 'RHS Your Wellbeing Garden' by Alistair Griffiths and Matt Keightley.
Daffodil image courtesy of Sarah Ashford @SarahAshfordStudio
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