These 5 Sense-Soothing Garden Plants Are Almost as Good as Therapy – and a Heck of a Lot Cheaper

We’re so lucky to have our gardens so we can go sit in the sunshine and let the stresses of day fall away, and these five sense-soothing plants will make your backyard into even more of a tranquil sanctuary. Each targets a different sense to calm your nervous system and focus your brain on gentle sounds and pleasing patterns, helping you to de-stress and regroup.

Sensory planting for natural wellness works a treat for children as well as adults so, if hyper kids are adding to your daily strain, a relaxing seating area planted with these calming beauties might be the life solution you’ve been looking for.

So many fragranced body products and herbal remedies marketed to alleviate anxiety and promote calm rely on natural plant-based ingredients, so why not cut out the middle man and grow your own stress relief? Science has proven time and time again that gardening can boost your mood and, by choosing plants that act on different senses, you’ll benefit from a cumulative calming effect.

All our recommendations are simple to grow and can be planted now. Deep breath now – it’s time to get started with the best plants for a soothing garden sanctuary…

1. Smell: Lavender

Lavender has long been grown for its intense fragrance and studies now show inhaling this pleasing scent physically calms the nervous system, and can lower heart rate and improve sleep. Lavandula angustifolia (English lavender) contains high concentrations of linalool and linalyl acetate, the compounds responsible for that fabulously sedative scent – look out for new cultivars such as ‘SuperBlue’, available from Fast Growing Trees and suitable for zones 5–8, that have been bred for an especially potent perfume.

If you find the scent of lavender too sweet, then try Lavandula x intermedia, often called lavandin, which is a cross between English lavender and spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia) and has a sharper, more camphorous fragrance. Phenomenal and Sensational, both available from Nature Hills, are both extremely robust varieties, suitable for zones 5–9.

All these scented plants are perennial so you can plant once and enjoy the soothing fragrance for years to come.

2. Touch: Lamb's Ear

You’ll understand how Stachys byzantina earned its common name once you feel a leaf between finger and thumb. The silvery foliage of lamb's ear is covered in super-fine hairs, the young leaves emerging velvety-soft then growing dense, downy coats to form a felt-like mat around a foot high that feels oh-so calming to touch. Its covering has evolved as a way to retain moisture in hot, dry conditions, so this easy-to-grow perennial plant is drought-tolerant and loves life in a free-draining patio pot. In zones 4–9, it also acts as excellent ground cover, and lamb's ear plants are available from Home Depot.

If you have children, then Stachys byzantina ‘Helene Von Stein’ is an even better choice, as its leaves are just as soft but larger, the plant growing to 1–2 feet high. This variety is available from Nature Hills and also grows well in zones 4–9.

3. Sight: Sunflowers

The cheery yellow blooms of annual sunflowers are a joy to behold, but what’s truly soothing about Helianthus annus is their perfectly patterned centre of seeds. The orderly positioning follows a mathematical sequence known as a Fibonacci Spiral, which studies show our brains find pleasing and pacifying to look at.

‘Mammoth Grey Stripe’ is an especially good sunflower variety to grow for its 10-inch dinner-plate blooms on sturdy stems that can grow 6–12 feet high in all zones, and seed is available from Eden Brothers. For additional garden relaxation, enjoy its large kernels as a patio snack – shell and eat raw, roast and salt or, when still young, grill the entire oiled flowerhead on the barbecue and eat as you would corn on the cob.

4. Hearing: Japanese Silver Grass

The sound of gently rustling leaves as they blow in the breeze is incredibly soothing. While many folk plant bamboo for the swishing soundscape it adds to a garden, variegated Japanese silver grass is a far smarter choice. Its arching green and cream blades sway in the slightest breeze, creating a pleasant sound that intensifies as the foliage dries out when fall approaches. With feathery blush flowerheads that bleach in the sun to a pretty blonde tone, it’s highly ornamental, and this non-invasive Miscanthus has a neat, upright habit.

Reaching up to 6 feet tall and 3–5 feet wide, perennial Miscanthus sinsensis ‘Variegatus’ makes a super privacy screen planted next to a seating area, where its relaxing sound can be enjoyed to the full. It thrives in zones 5–9 and is available from Nature Hills.

5. Taste: Chamomile

Stepping out into your backyard to pick a handful of chamomile flowers for a soothing brew is a relaxing ritual in its own right, and this popular herbal remedy is widely used for its proven calming effects. So why not grow your own, especially if you’re already drinking commercially produced chamomile tea to promote sleep, reduce stress or aid digestion?

German chamomile is a better choice for a garden than Roman chamomile, as it has a more upright habit and flowers more prolifically. It tastes sweeter, too, and while it’s an annual, it happily self seeds.

To enjoy the apple-like flavor and relaxing properties of chamomile tea, steep 3–4 tablespoons of fresh flowers in a mug of boiling water for 3–5 minutes, then strain, adding honey or a squeeze of lemon, if you like. You can also easily dry the flowers for a winter supply, using 1–2 tablespoons of dried flowers for a brew.

German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) seeds and plants are available from Burpee, and are suitable for all zones.