How to Grow a Mindfulness Garden for Wellness & Relaxation (Beginner Guide to Growing Herbs Indoors & Outdoors)
Introduction
Planting your own garden can be a relaxing, cost-effective way to harness the natural stress-relieving properties of herbs. The act of gardening itself is also a great way to practice mindfulness. Whether you live in a small apartment, a suburb, or a rural area, you can grow an herb garden to meet your needs and reap the many benefits of herbs at home.
Safety Disclaimer: With the exception of St. John's Wort, all of the herbs suggested below have a calming or sedating effect. Avoid driving or operating heavy machinery while consuming these herbs, and always check with your doctor before consuming any herbs on this list.
Choosing Herbs for Your Garden
When preparing to plant a stress-relief or mindfulness herb garden, several factors are worth considering: hardiness zone, sunlight, and available space.
Hardiness Zone
Before planting your garden outdoors, know your USDA zone (if you're in the United States), which you can find here. If the plant you want to grow can't survive outdoors in your zone, consider whether you can grow them in containers.
Sunlight
Many herbs require full sun to partial shade for several hours a day. If your area does not receive much sun, or you're in an apartment, choose herbs which do well in medium to low light. Each suggestion below is labeled for hardiness zone and sunlight requirements.
Available Space
Mindfulness gardens come in all sizes, and every herb has different space requirements. Some, like chamomile, will not do well in containers and prefer to grow in large, open spaces like a backyard or pasture. Other plants, such as passionflower and members of the mint family, can thrive in containers, and it's recommended to plant them this way even outdoors because they can be invasive in a garden.
Also be aware that some plants on this list can give off a pungent or unpleasant odor, such as St. John's Wort and Valerian root. Plants like these require enough outdoor space to allow odors to disperse without offending homeowners or neighbors.
Suggested List of Herbs
This list is certainly not exhaustive, and it's certainly not meant to suggest that you need to plant most or all of them. Feel free to make your selection based on the criteria described above, especially regarding hardiness and space.
Also, check out my article on the Ten Best Herbs that Help You Relax for more details on some of the herbs listed here. Beside each item on this list is its light requirements, hardiness zone, and whether or not it does well in containers.
1. Peppermint & Spearmint
- full sun to partial shade (a sunny window will work)
- hardiness zone: just about anywhere
- does well in containers
2. Lemon Balm
- full sun to partial shade
- hardiness zone: 4-9
- does well in containers
3. Basil
- full sun (some species can handle partial shade)
- hardiness zone: just about anywhere, but protect it from freezing temperatures
- does well in containers
4. Lavender
- full sun preferred (a little shade is OK)
- hardiness zone: 5-9
- does well in containers
5. Chamomile (German or Roman)
- full sun / must be outdoors
- hardiness zone: 4-9
- does not do well in containers
6. California Poppy
- full sun
- hardiness zone: just about anywhere, but it does not like overly hot climates
- does well in containers, but seeds must be planted in a permanent pot; transplanting shocks them
- actually prefer poor soil because they are wildflowers
7. Hops
- must have full sun / be outdoors
- hardiness zone: between the 35th and 55th parallels (much of the USA, Europe, Asia)
- may do well in containers, but should be kept outside.
- they are vines and can be arranged side by side to climb a trellis or side of a structure
8. Valerian Root
- full sun / should probably be outdoors
- zone hardiness: 4-9
- may do well in large containers, but should probably be kept outside
9. St. John's Wort
- full sun to partial shade
- hardiness zone: 3-9
- may be grown in containers, but should be kept outside due to their strong odor
- NOTE: they are invasive, consider planting them in containers, then planting them in the ground to keep them from spreading
10. Kava Kava
- full sun to partial shade
- hardiness zone: in tropical climates, it can be grown outdoors; everywhere else, you'll need to keep it in a warm, humid greenhouse
- does well in containers; the plant takes 3 years to mature, and will require several transplants to accommodate its massive roots. In tropical climates, they can also be planted outdoors in a spot that has very deep soil.
- NOTE: can be challenging to grow - not the best choice for beginners and very slow-growing
11. Passion Flower
- full sun (maybe a little shade)
- hardiness zone: 5-9
- does well in pots but will require a trellis or somewhere else to climb as it is a vine
- IMPORTANT: make sure to get passiflora incarnata; this is the only passionflower species with medicinal qualities, and other varieties can be toxic.
12. Bergamot Orange
This is the "true" bergamot used to make bergamot extract and Earl Grey tea. However, unlike the other items on this list, bergamot orange grows on a tree; so in most cases, it needs to be grown outdoors.
- full sun
- hardiness zone: like its other citrus cousins, it doesn't like freezing temperatures. It does best in warmer climates and is native to the Mediterranean.
- can you grow it in a container indoors? Maybe if you have skylights and want a tree in your living room.
13. North American "Bergamot" or "Wild Bergamot"
This variety does not have the exact same properties as its authentic namesake above, but if you want a space-saving alternative, it still makes a lovely tea.
- full sun to partial shade
- hardiness zone: it's native to North America, and it does well just about anywhere
- does well in containers, just put it in a sunny spot
14. Rosemary
- full sun or a little shade
- hardiness zone: prefers warmer climates; if you grow it above zone 7, keep them in pots
- does well in containers (they'll need at least 12" pots); avoid transplanting them once they've settled
- like California poppy, it likes poor to average soil
15. Anise Hyssop (Licorice)
- full sun, but will tolerate shade fairly well
- hardiness zone: 6-9
- does well in containers, well suited for apartments with a sunny or slightly shaded window
Maintenance, Harvesting, and Usage
Maintenance & Harvest
Note the individual care instructions for each plant. When growing several plants together in an outdoor garden, select plants with similar lighting and climate needs, and monitor any species that are known to be invasive (such as mint and lemon balm).
Alternatively, a container garden will allow you to grow plants with a variety of different needs.
Each plant also has different harvesting specifications, and the usable parts of each plant will also vary. Using a logbook or notebook can help you keep track of all your herbs.
Storage & Use
All the plants in this list can be made into teas, preserved as herbal extracts, or dried and stored in air-tight containers until they're ready to be used. Many of them, notably mint, lemon balm, bergamot, lavender, basil, rosemary, and anise hyssop (licorice) also lend themselves to culinary uses and mix well when added to potpourri.
Happy mindful gardening!
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and does not substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, and/or dietary advice from a licensed health professional. Drugs, supplements, and natural remedies may have dangerous side effects. If pregnant or nursing, consult with a qualified provider on an individual basis. Seek immediate help if you are experiencing a medical emergency.