Creating a healing garden amid unhealthy modern living

Nirwono Joga, Contributor, Jakarta

The "back-to-nature" trend is taking root. It is not only a trend that goes along with the cosmopolitan lifestyle around the world but a philosophy that has made its way into our daily lives.

Such an approach to living is evident in the way of designing houses integrated with the greenery and gardens around them. Nature-friendly homes have become favored in metropolitan cities of the United States, Western Europe and Australia.

Major property developers in this country have caught on and are offering this lifestyle in satellite cities.

The house and its garden form a unified concept, arranged in such a way that they bring comfort, including in mind and body, to all occupants.

A healthy house means healthy occupants. And in the present economic crisis, a house must not only fit the bill in creating healthy living but also be cost-efficient and environmentally friendly.

A worsening urban environment, increasingly frustrating traffic jams and the pressure from heavy workloads at office and school have caused many city residents to suffer from depression, stress and a variety of physical and mental ailments amid soaring costs of medical treatment.

Hospitals and other medical centers, formerly providing only physical treatment, have begun to realize the need for a therapeutic garden to help speed the recovery process.

You, too, can have a healing house of your own.

First of all, consider the house's space and your budget, both of which affect how you can optimize your home.

All occupants of the house must take part in designing the rooms and the garden in a way that will suit their needs.

The carport, terrace and front yard are usually merged into a general sitting area, a place to receive guests as well as a hangout for teenagers to while away their time.

The family sitting room and the dining room will also serve as a place for under-fives to play. The dining room, kitchen, terrace and the rear area of homes, which serve to separate the place where clothes are washed and dried, may also be combined.

When several rooms are combined, there will be a feeling of security and warmth for family members of all ages as their different needs for space are accommodated.

This way, everybody in the house gets his or her own favorite space, from a playground for children in the garden or in the family room that is combined with the sitting room, a place where the teenage members of the house may sit around or see their friends in the terrace of the front garden, and a room where the parents and grandparents may relax while sipping coffee or reading a newspaper.

For efficient use of electricity in the home, cut down on lighting and air conditioning. Construct a good ventilation system to allow fresh air to flow from the front part of the house to the back, being sure that precautions are taken to keep mosquitoes and vermin out.

To ensure that the house is cozy and healthy, smoking must not be allowed, either inside the house or in the garden.

Trees and plants throughout the garden will provide fresh air for the house. Use fruit trees and medicinal plants throughout to emphasize the healing, productive nature of the home. Also plant climbing plants and leafy trees.

Sunlight must be able to enter through ventilation points, windows and the doors so that there will be sufficient natural lighting during daytime.

The dominant color of green from the garden will produce a peaceful and comfortable atmosphere. The fragrance and colors from the flowers and leaves of various plants in the garden will bring cheerfulness and warmth to the entire house. A combination of the colors of the paint used for the walls -- for example, turquoise green, soft yellow or light, creamy brown -- will accentuate the impression of nature.

The natural impression can be enforced through the use of plants inside the home and a carefully chosen color scheme for the interior decor.

Also, build fish ponds full of water plants. If space does not permit a pond, use large water jars, earthenware vessels or an aquarium for the same effect. Be sure to change the water regularly to keep it free from mosquito larvae, and also grow lotus, water hyacinth or citronella to discourage their presence.

As the family room is the most private space, hang family photos, trophies and certificates amid pleasing photographs and pictures, particularly those with a nature theme.

These items will provide mental therapy and evoke beautiful memories, the two factors that will allow the occupants of the house to renew their motivation in life.

The author is a landscape architect based in Jakarta