What To Know Before Trying The Green Drenching Garden Trend

Beautiful gardens awash with a riot of color will always enjoyable. But there is a new trend in the gardening scene that is making waves: green drenching. Green drenching involves layering a variety of green plants together to create a serene, verdant garden with lots of texture and depth. Instead of bold, bright colors here and there, green drenching focuses on different shades of green, a variety of leaf shapes, and varying plant sizes to create an effect ideal for meditating, doing yoga, or just enjoying the calming effect of all that greenery.

There have been studies done on the effects of the color green on mental health including improving mood and anxiety, such as a post-Pandemic overview by the University of Essex on the positive impact of green spaces on mental health. Culturally, green is very significant, ranging from symbolizing good health and abundance in Western cultures and wealth, harmony, and fertility in China. In Islam and across much of the Middle East, green is seen as holy and can represent renewal, life, and paradise. So it is not surprising that gardens emphasizing the green drenching trend would have such a mood-positive effect. If you decide to use green drenching for areas in your own garden, we're certain you will love the calming, rejuvenating effects this beautiful trend will provide for you and anyone else spending time there.

Green drenching isn't for everyone. If you prefer a bright variety of colors in your garden, you may not want an all-green space even if it contains different shades of green. Green drenching is perfect for yards that have shade due to the fact that many of the plants ideal for this design element, like evergreens and shrubs, do well in shaded areas. Upkeep on these green plants is easy, providing another reason it can be a popular gardening choice especially for newbie gardeners. By adding important exercise to your day and lowering stress levels, gardening is already known to be good for your health. Adding a green-drenched garden space will enhance those health benefits even more by providing a nice place to truly unwind and relax.

You don't have to make your entire garden green drenched: You can have one dedicated area and plant the rest of your garden with the colorful flowers you normally do. This choice gives you the best of both worlds — a garden full of bright colors and a calm, serene green space. To define these vibes, separate the green-drenched area with screens or lattice, so it feels like an intentional area for relaxation. 

If you're ready to dive into green drenching, you will be excited to know that there is a wide variety of plants perfect for your adventure from beautiful ground cover to vines and tall shrubs. The main idea is to layer different shades of green in terms of height and depth, which means you can start with ground cover like mosses or creeping Jenny, and work your way up to vertical plant walls that provide privacy and utilize space nicely. Plants ideal for plant walls include peace lily, aloe vera, sword fern, and Thanksgiving cactus.

Take the time to do some pre-planting work and sketch out how you want your garden space to look, including the plants you want such as any of the previously mentioned fuss-free plants that are great for gardening beginners. Try to note the shade of green each plant possesses, which can be helpful in preventing monotone spaces. The benefit of doing this ahead of time is that you will know exactly what to plant and where to plant it once you get everything out into your gardening space, including the must-have tools every gardener needs to have on hand. Once you get started, follow your sketches, and take your time. You probably won't get this done in one day, but the result of all your planning and hard work is a place of tranquility and relaxation you can look forward to every day.