The same path looks different under spring blossoms, summer shade, autumn color and winter bones. Returning turns a pretty outing into a relationship with a place.
Try this
- Find a garden near you. The American Public Gardens Association’s Garden Finder lists botanical gardens and arboretums by location. Japanese gardens, university gardens and small city gardens all count.
- Pick one spot to return to. A bench, a bridge, a single tree. This is your fixed point for the year.
- Spend ten quiet minutes there each visit. Before you walk the rest of the garden, sit and note what you see, hear and smell. One page in a field notebook is enough.
- Take the same photo each time. Stand in the same place and frame the same view. By winter you will have four pictures that tell a story.
- Put the next visit on your calendar. Choose a weekday morning about three months out, before you leave.
One example: Portland Japanese Garden
In the hills above Portland, Oregon, the Portland Japanese Garden opened in 1967 and holds eight distinct garden styles, from a strolling pond garden with a moon bridge to a raked sand-and-stone garden (Frommers, Portland Japanese Garden). A Cultural Village by architect Kengo Kuma was added in 2017, and the pavilion terrace looks out toward Mount Hood.
It rewards the four-season idea. The garden says any time of year is a good time: cherry blossoms appear briefly in late March, summer is deep green and calm, and fall color is its most popular season. Most visitors take about 1.5 to 2 hours, though it invites slower visits. A free shuttle runs up the hill to the Cultural Village, but not every path is accessible, so check before you go.
You don’t need to live near Portland to borrow the idea. Many cities have a Japanese garden or a botanical garden with the same quiet spirit.
Make it yours
- Alone: bring a sketchbook instead of a camera for one of the four visits.
- With someone: each of you chooses a different spot to return to, then compare notes over tea.
- Low energy: a single bench and a slow half hour is a complete visit.
- On a budget: look for free days, or join one garden. Members of gardens in the American Horticultural Society’s network of about 400 gardens get free admission at the others during regular hours, though some exclude visitors who live within 90 miles (American Horticultural Society).
Why it works
In a 2019 University of Exeter study of nearly 20,000 people in England, those who spent at least 120 minutes a week in nature were significantly more likely to report good health and higher wellbeing than people who spent none. It didn’t matter whether that time came in one visit or several (European Centre for Environment and Human Health). A garden you keep returning to makes those two hours easy to find.
Where to start
- Public Garden Finder: botanical gardens and arboretums near you
- AHS Garden Network: free admission across about 400 member gardens
- Portland Japanese Garden visitor FAQ: an example of what to check before you go
- Nature Journal Club: if your seasonal notes turn into sketches
A garden is never finished, and neither is the way you see it. Four visits a year is enough to watch both change.
I hope this finds you well,
Scott