Nature and Wellbeing: Virtual Garden Tours
Virtual
Garden Tours- the importance of spending time in nature
From the
moment that lockdown restrictions were first introduced in the UK, Brits seemed
to notice, for the first time in a while, the world outside their window.
Traffic jams moved from the motorway, to the hoards of people navigating
footpaths from a two metre distance, picnicking in parks and more recently,
crowding the beaches. Whilst it's disappointing that some have chosen to use
this long summer as an excuse for dangerous mass gatherings, it's reassuring
that nature has become an important part of our daily routine, and an essential
element for well-being.
With
restrictions easing, the general public are gaining more access to the great
outdoors, and people can now be found strawberry-picking in local farms, and
wandering around the grounds of stately homes. Yet, many sites such as National
Trust parklands are operating on a limited, booking-only basis, and the lack of
toilets and refreshments available means that many are still reluctant to make
the trip, when a place does become free.[1] Luckily, however, there
are a range of virtual ways to access nature, negating the need to travel long
distances and/or spend money accessing these spots.
For
students at the University of Birmingham, Winterbourne House is a beautiful,
peaceful place to spend an afternoon reading, wandering through the gardens or
meeting a friend in the tearooms. Whilst the entire site has been closed to the
public since March, two of the Members have released a guided meditative walk
around the gardens, that you can explore from home.[2] The organisers explain
that 'we have evolved in nature, so it's not surprising that connecting back to
it can help to restore and uplift our general well-being.'
In the
video, mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing are combined with
visualisation, as you are invited to explore several areas of the grounds such
as the walled garden, Japanese bridge, and terrace.[3] In my favourite moment,
the speaker states, 'you have nowhere else to be, so you sit, and enjoy some
precious time just for yourself.' For me, this sums up the importance of
spending time in nature: it's a gift that we didn't have to qualify for, it's
freely given, and there to access whenever we feel like it.
Another
great resource is the multitude of virtual garden tours available, many of
which are listed here[4], in the form of short
YouTube videos. One video documents the garden that Monet created and used as
artistic inspiration for almost two decades in Giverny, France.[5] The speaker remarks that
the 'symbiosis between the artist and the gardener is truly remarkable.' If
you've ever gazed at a Monet painting, such as his captivating waterlilies or
scenes of the footbridge, you'll have noticed this connection, where art and
nature combine to create work that lives and breathes the environment it was
created in.
For some
British heritage, the video exploring the Gardens at Waddesdon Manor takes a
birds-eye view of the grounds, explaining its Victorian design.[6] At least 60 gardeners previously
worked on the intricate flowerbeds and glasshouses, with attractions including
3-D flower structures. With rigorous annual planting schemes, it seems a
lockdown project like no other, and you can lose yourself within the complex patterns.
My
favourite tour has to be of the US Botanic Gardens in Washington.[7] This has the option to
navigate various scenes within the interior and exterior of the grounds, so
that you feel as if you are really wandering through the plants. The Tropics
House in particular offers a leafy paradise, with streams and bridges intersecting
with the greenery. Why not put on a relaxing playlist and see what you can
discover?
With such
resources at our fingertips, both virtually, and (eventually) available to us
in person, it's important that we don't take the environment for granted.
Whilst the lockdown has certainly seen reduced levels of air pollution and more
prominent wildlife, the global climate crisis isn't going away, and we need to
take steps to ensure that we can preserve our ever-dwindling outside world.
Nature is
something bigger and more beautiful than our minds could ever comprehend, and
therein lies its appeal. It's not something that we can figure out or
compartmentalise (although many of us try, with our gardening magazines), but
it remains something that simply exists. We've nurtured a special relationship
with nature during the lockdown, which I feel is summed up beautifully in Meg
Cox's poem- Summer Holidays, where she writes, 'sometimes we sat in
hedges and didn't do anything much.' Beyond anything else, nature gives us the
excuse, and the permission, to just sit and be.
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