Research suggests that spending just 20-30 minutes in a green space can measurably lower cortisol — your body's main stress hormone.
Not a hike. Not a weekend away. Just being in a garden.
Researchers found that as little as 20-30 minutes of nature experience — including time in a private garden — produced a measurable drop in cortisol beyond normal daily decline. No exercise required. Just being present in a green space was enough.
This is one of the reasons we always try to include a place to sit and just be in every garden we design. Not every square metre needs to be a feature or a function. Sometimes the most valuable part of a garden is a bench under a tree, a sheltered corner with a view of the planting, or a seat where you catch the evening sun.
Over 50 years of designing gardens in Surrey, we've seen this play out again and again. Clients tell us they didn't expect to use the garden as much as they do. They thought it was about how it looks. Then they find themselves outside every morning with a coffee, or sitting out after work just to decompress.
That's not an accident. That's design doing its job quietly.
📍 Surrey
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