Images: Walled Garden at Thornham Walks (Practical Plants 2025)
As we enter January, many people feel the weight of the post-holiday slump combined with shorter days, and colder weather. Known as the “January blues,” this time of year can be challenging for mental health. However, outdoor spaces designed with care can offer a powerful antidote. Whether in private gardens or public landscapes, incorporating plants that provide year-round interest can create spaces that soothe the soul and inspire hope.
For landscape designers, the opportunity to transform outdoor spaces into calming retreats is more important than ever. With thoughtful planning and the right plant selection, you can craft environments that provide lasting mental health benefits for both individual clients and the wider community.
Image: Walled Garden at Thornham Walks (Practical Plants 2025)
The Healing Power of Nature: A Breath of Fresh Air
It’s no secret that being surrounded by nature positively impacts mental health. Numerous studies have shown that greenery can reduce stress, boost mood, and promote relaxation. Spending time outdoors helps people disconnect from the fast-paced demands of daily life and reconnect with the calming rhythm of nature.
Gardens designed with mental well-being in mind offer more than just beauty—they provide a space to unwind, reflect, and recharge. Landscape designers can make this happen by creating gardens that evolve through the seasons, ensuring a constant connection to nature, even during the coldest months.
Images: Walled Garden at Thornham Walks (Practical Plants 2025)
Evergreens: A Foundation of Calm and Structure
Evergreens are a cornerstone of year-round garden design, offering structure, consistency, and a calming presence in even the bleakest of months. Their lush foliage provides visual interest when deciduous plants are bare, creating a stable and serene atmosphere that is particularly valuable in winter.
For hedging and topiary, Buxus sempervirens (box) and Taxus baccata (yew) are timeless choices that bring elegance and structure to any space, or the newer options could include Osmanthus burkwoodii or Euonymus microphyllus Green Rocket. To add brightness and texture, consider variegated options like Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald Gaiety’ or Elaeagnus pungens ‘Maculata’, whose silver-edged or golden-tinted leaves catch the winter light beautifully.
Ground cover options such as Vinca minor (lesser periwinkle), Ajuga reptans or Hedera helix (common ivy) provide low-maintenance greenery, while upright varieties like Juniperus communis (common juniper), Cotoneaster franchetii or Ilex aquifolium (holly) create vertical interest and seasonal charm with their berries. These versatile plants not only provide year-round structure but also serve as a soothing backdrop for more colourful seasonal blooms.
Image: Walled Garden at Thornham Walks (Practical Plants 2025)
Winter-Flowering Plants: Bringing Hope to Cold Days
While evergreens provide the backbone of a winter garden, flowering plants that bloom during the colder months offer bursts of colour and life that brighten even the darkest days. These plants are invaluable for their ability to inspire hope and joy when it is needed most.
One popular choice is Helleborus orientalis (commonly known as the Lenten rose), whose elegant nodding blooms appear in a variety of shades from December through early spring. Similarly, Galanthus nivalis (snowdrops) bring delicate white flowers that symbolise renewal and resilience.
For bolder colour, Viburnum bodnantense varieties such as ‘Dawn’ produce clusters of fragrant pink blooms on bare branches, while Hamamelis mollis (Chinese witch hazel) adds striking spidery flowers in shades of yellow and red. Other excellent options include Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun,’ which provides bright yellow blooms and architectural foliage, and Sarcococca confusa (sweet box), whose small white flowers emit a delightful fragrance.
By weaving these plants into their designs, landscape designers can ensure their spaces remain vibrant and uplifting, no matter the season.
Designing for Year-Round Mental Health
To create a garden that consistently inspires, it’s important to incorporate plants that bloom throughout all different times of the year. Seasonal flowers and ever-changing greenery encourage people to spend time outdoors no matter the season, supporting mental well-being throughout the year.
In spring, daffodils, tulips, and primroses bring vibrant colour and mark the start of new beginnings. Summer blooms, such as lavender and roses, fill the garden with scent and beauty, while autumn-flowering asters and ornamental grasses extend the garden’s appeal. By winter, evergreen shrubs and winter-flowering plants ensure the garden remains a source of joy.
Gardens that Inspire Us
Beyond The Wall is a charity based in the historic Walled Garden at Thornham Walks, near Eye, Norfolk.
The 2-acre Victorian Walled Garden once provided fresh produce for Thornham Hall and was part of 25 acres of formal gardens. At its peak, the gardens required nine full-time gardeners to maintain. In recent years, the Walled Garden and its glasshouses have undergone significant restoration and redesign, bringing new vibrancy to this historic site.
Image: (Beyond the Wall 2025 – Charity No: 292229)
Today, the Walled Garden serves as the home of Beyond The Wall, a charity that supports adults with additional needs. The team maintains the garden, propagates and cultivates a variety of plants including a huge range of traditional roses and apple trees specially created for Thornham. The team has worked tirelessly to create year-round interest by carefully selecting and planting a diverse range of plants, ensuring there is always something in bloom to enjoy. Their efforts have transformed the garden into a stunning and ever-changing destination for visitors. Guests are also invited to purchase home grown plants and enjoy the charming tearoom, nestled within the peaceful surroundings of the garden.
Images: Walled Garden at Thornham Walks (Practical Plants 2025)
At Practical Plants, we are so proud to support the fantastic work of Beyond the Wall by donating plants that will either be lovingly planted in the garden or sold to help fund their mission. It’s an honour to play even a small part in this inspiring initiative. For more information, be sure to head over to their website or socials to find out how to support their incredible work.
Starting the Year with Gardens That Heal
As we navigate the darker days of January, it’s worth remembering the power of plants and green spaces to brighten our lives. Evergreens, seasonal blooms, and carefully curated planting schemes can transform any space into a haven of calm and hope.
At Practical Plants, we are proud to support landscape designers in sourcing the best plants for their projects. From hardy evergreens to vibrant flowers, our selection ensures you have everything you need to create spaces that nurture the body and mind.
This January, let’s design gardens that inspire relaxation, foster connection, and beat the winter blues.