Your Summer Garden as a Wellness Practice

Three Ways to Stay Grounded and Connected in the Heat of the Season

Summer in the Pacific Northwest can be intense—bright, hot, and full of motion. Between travel plans, kids' camps, and an ever-growing to-do list, it’s easy to feel untethered. And just like us, our gardens can show signs of stress: drooping leaves, parched soil, and a general sense of mid-season fatigue.

But here’s the good news: your garden can be more than just a project or a list of chores. It can be a living, breathing wellness practice—a way to slow down and root yourself in the present.

Here are three simple ways to turn your summer garden into a wellness practice:

Create a Morning or Evening Garden Ritual

Early mornings and late evenings are ideal for both plants and people. The light is soft, the temperatures are gentle, and there’s often a bit of stillness in the air.

Choose a time—sunrise or twilight—and make it a mini ritual. Maybe that’s watering your plants slowly, sipping tea among the flowers, or simply standing barefoot on the soil for a few minutes. This consistent touchpoint helps you feel grounded and gives your nervous system a chance to exhale.

Water with Intention

In July, many PNW gardens are thirsty—and so are we. Use watering time as a reminder to hydrate your body and spirit. As you water your plants, notice how they respond: leaves lifting, soil softening, life returning. Use this moment to check in.

Are you running dry too?

Where do you need to hydrate — literally or figuratively?

What in your life is feeling a little wilted?

Tend to yourself as you tend your garden.

Let Something Be Wild

In the push to keep everything tidy, we often forget that nature doesn’t need to be perfect to be beautiful. Choose one corner of your yard to let go a bit. Maybe it’s a patch of wildflowers or herbs going to seed, or a shady corner where you sit and just be.

Letting a space grow a little wild can be surprisingly liberating. It’s also great for pollinators. Bonus: it takes one more thing off your list.

A Garden for the Season You're In

Just like our gardens, we go through cycles. If you're feeling wilted, tired, or spread thin, you're not doing it wrong—it’s just mid-summer. It’s not about doing more, but doing differently: slower, softer, and more rooted in presence.

Let your garden be your guide.

Want more slow, seasonal wellness ideas?

Download the Wellness Garden Starter Guide, a simple, soulful guide to help you start your own healing garden—no experience required.