When May arrives, it’s time to think about spending time in your yard and gardens. But all of your time outdoors shouldn’t be spent working. After all, you need a break from doing “chores”. Creating your own oasis will entice you to relax and enjoy nature while you are outside.
Find a spot where you are and can enjoy reading a good book or watching the birds and critters pass through your yard. Life will automatically slow down—for a little while anyway!
Settle back in a comfortable chair. For me, it’s an Adirondack chair with armrests wide enough to accommodate a coffee cup or a cold drink. Add a pillow to your back, and you are all set for some “downtime!”
Surround yourself with flowers and attractive shrubs. My oasis is the area by our pergola. It’s behind a 6-foot board-on-board cedar fence, which makes it private. I can enjoy a nearby flower garden and containers with bright pink geraniums. The flowers change with the seasons, providing spectacular color from spring to fall.
Juniper and cypress shrubs in the pergola area provide a feel and contribute to the feeling of privacy.
Part of the relaxation process is watching birds fly in and out of a tall cedar tree nearby. The white-breasted nuthatch is entertaining as he walks down the trunk. The black-capped chickadees always have a lot to say! They are the “chatterers” of the many birds that call our yard home.
Having bird houses as part of your “oasis space” is a fun attraction. The size of the opening will determine the types of birds you can expect to build a nest in the house. My handy husband, Peter, has made many birdhouses over the years. Most have openings that are 1 1/8” to 1 ¼”. These attract house wrens every summer. In fact, they often build nests twice during that period. It’s fun to watch the mother and father work together to build the nests. The mother tends to be fussy and often tosses out small sticks or grass that the father has brought into the house. He gets “A for effort,” anyway!
Watching the baby wrens get fed is fun to watch. Their heads come out of the birdhouse with their mouths wide open to receive the food that has arrived. At the end of the day, the parents must be exhausted from continuously flying back and forth with food for their little ones.
A bird bath is another part of a relaxing oasis. Watching the birds splash in the water while they bathe will bring a smile to your face. Having a place to drink is undoubtedly a welcome treat for the birds on a hot and dry day. Be sure to keep the bird bath clean to prevent the spread of disease.
Watching butterflies perch on nearby flowers is proof that your garden is doing its part in the pollination process.
So find your oasis location and gradually add to it the things that will provide a sense of peace and relaxation, right in your own backyard. Enjoy!
