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How To Bring Dopamine Decorating Into Your Garden

Gardening has long been recognised for its ability to elevate our spirits by increasing levels of dopamine and serotonin—those coveted “feel-good” neurotransmitters. However, there’s a fresh concept on the rise that is easily adaptable to your outdoor space, dopamine decorating. The best part? Once you’ve meticulously curated your garden to perfection, this trend promises to amplify your dopamine boost effortlessly each time you step into your garden, requiring no additional effort on your part!

What Is Dopamine Decorating?

What exactly is dopamine decorating, I hear you ask? It’s the latest sensation sweeping through the world of interior design. Dopamine decorating revolves around infusing your living spaces with colours, patterns, and shapes that ignite joy, revitalise, and uplift your mood. It’s about surrounding yourself with décor that genuinely makes you feel good and enhances your overall happiness with no strict guidelines to follow. The sky’s the limit when it comes to the boldness and vibrancy you can infuse into your home. Moreover, this trend seamlessly extends to your outdoor haven, making dopamine gardening a delightful endeavour for creating a feel-good, joyful garden.

Keep reading for all the inspiration you need to explore this uplifting trend for your outdoor space.

Dopamine Gardening Strategies

Gardens serve as intimate sanctuaries that mirror the individuality and character of the dedicated gardener. In the realm of dopamine gardening, the focus lies in cultivating plants and designing a space that brings you unadulterated delight, a reflection of your true essence. Here are various strategies to help you craft distinct looks and atmospheres within your garden, which will enable you to curate the garden of your dopamine-fuelled dreams.

Light-Based Touches

Introduce playful touches that make you smile. From vibrant pops of colour through decorative ornaments or garden furniture to creative pathways. You could create a mosaic pathway by using broken tiles, colourful pebbles or lining it with your favourite blooms. Choosing plants with interesting shapes and textures can add visual interest to your garden. Incorporate varieties like curly ferns, striped grasses, or plants with brightly coloured foliage.

Opt For A Neutral Base

If bold-coloured walls aren’t for you, don’t worry – you can still get your dose of dopamine with accessories. Keep patios, structures, fences, and planters neutral, but opt for cushions, furniture, accessories, and unique pieces in colours that make you feel joyful.

Sunshine Shades

Use sunny shades of yellow, coral, and vibrant blue for furniture pieces and accessories to ensure the sun is shining in your garden whatever the weather. You could even create a themed “Sunset Garden” by planting flowers such as marigolds, coreopsis, and cosmos to represent the warm hues of a sunset. Intersperse them with blue flowering plants like delphiniums, salvias, or blue-eyed grass to mimic the cool tones of the evening sky. Add decorative elements such as blue ceramic pots or coral-coloured garden ornaments to enhance the colour scheme. You might even design pathways using yellow gravel or stepping stones bordered by coral-coloured mulch to tie the theme together.

Image label: Cosmos at Sunset

Give It Energy

From unusual textures and patterned pathways to rainbow colours and fun slogans, treat every corner in your garden to some dopamine-inducing touches and elevate its energy level.

Moon Gardens

A moon garden is a type of garden specifically designed to be enjoyed in the evening or at night. It typically features plants with white or light-coloured flowers and foliage that are especially visible in the moonlight. Choose plants such as white roses, evening primrose, white moonflower vines, and silver-leaved plants like lamb’s ear. Additionally, incorporate fragrant flowers like jasmine or white phlox to enhance the sensory experience.

Arrange seating areas strategically so the garden can be enjoyed during evening hours and consider adding elements like white birdbaths or sculptures to further enhance the ethereal atmosphere. By focusing on pale colours and fragrant blooms you can create a tranquil and enchanting space that comes alive under the glow of the moon.

Alternatively, you can use artificial lights to showcase features of your garden that you would like to enjoy while sitting in the garden of an evening.

Bold Choice

Decorate with shades that make your heart sing. Choose flowering plants with vibrant blooms and colourful foliage, such as tulips, dahlias, and coleus, to create eye-catching focal points. Paint structures like fences and garden sheds in bold hues and use colourful containers to showcase your plants. Integrate artwork or sculptures in bright colours for added visual interest and consider colourful pathways made from materials like mosaic tiles or painted stepping stones. Rotate seasonal displays to keep your garden vibrant throughout the year.

Circular Designs

Circles have a remarkable ability to evoke happiness effortlessly. Consider the playful allure of hula hoops, the nostalgic thrill of Ferris wheels, the carefree bounce of balls, or the whimsical float of balloons. Their appeal seamlessly extends into the realm of gardening as well. From the delightful roundness of allium flowers to the elegance of herb spirals, there exists many possibilities for integrating circular designs into your garden space.

If symmetry makes you happy, circular patterns will offer the balance you want. Whether it’s in the form of circular paths, flower beds, or seating areas, these designs serve as focal points to guide the viewer’s pleased gaze.

Circular designs contribute to flow and movement within your garden. They allow for smooth navigation and explorations, encouraging visitors to engage with the garden on a deeper level. The absence of sharp corners or abrupt angles creates a sense of continuity, making the garden feel more inviting and harmonious. So if that is the atmosphere you are aiming for, its well worth incorporating spheres and circles in your design scheme.

Evoke Your Senses

Tune into the senses that bring you the most joy and find ways to incorporate them into your space. For instance, if you have a great garden view but need a fence, could you use glass fencing to savour the visual appeal of your garden?

If you have favourite smells, choose plants that are fit for purpose. Lavender is one of the most famous fragrant plants, known for its calming aroma and its use in aromatherapy.  For a sweeter, floral fragrance that is particularly strong in the evenings, opt for Jasmine – this makes a great moon garden plant too. If you are going for a romantic atmosphere, peonies fit the bill and offer a sweet and subtle fragrance for the delicate noses amongst you.

If wildlife adds to your dopamine levels, try sweet alyssum – a low-growing annual with clusters of tiny flowers that emit a honey-like fragrance which attracts pollinators to the garden. If cooking is your pleasure, mint plants release a refreshing and invigorating scent when their leaves are crushed or brushed against, making them popular choices for herb lovers.

If you want to introduce calming sounds, think about water features. For taste, consider growing fruits and veggies. The possibilities are endless.

Creating a dopamine garden is not merely about planting flowers and arranging foliage but harnessing the power of design principles to craft unique and inspiring outdoor spaces. By incorporating elements such as colour, texture, scent, and layout you can evoke a range of emotions and sensations that elevate your gardening experience. Whether you prefer the tranquil allure of a Zen garden, the vibrant energy of a cottage garden, or the sleek sophistication of a modern garden, there are endless possibilities to explore.

By experimenting with different strategies and allowing your creativity to flourish, you can transform your garden into a haven that delights the senses and nourishes the soul, leaving you feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and uplifted every time you step outside.

If you need a professional to help guide you, you know where we are! The Terra Firma team can be contacted on 020 8769 7321.

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The team at Terra Firma Landscapes are always happy to provide advice and share experience and knowledge. If you have a garden project that you would like to get underway, you know where we are 020 8769 7321.

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