Human beings and nature are bound by an unbreakable thread. We all need contact with nature and this connection brings us psychological well-being; but it needs to be nurtured and encouraged. According to research and studies, the benefits for humans are many: reduction of stress, anxiety and depression symptoms, improvement of mood and an increase in creativity. And the environment benefits as well. It seems that nature manifests its positive effects almost immediately, just two hours a week spent in places like parks and forests would be enough.

What follows is simply the sharing of a personal experience.

Parks are the green lungs of our cities, places visit by people to take a breath away from the frenzy of everyday life. You can play sports, enjoy a relaxing moment with friends by having a picnic or simply chatting. You can sit on a secluded bench under the shade of a tree and read a good book. For children are places of fun and socialization, where they can make new friends.

I’ve always had a passion for parks. Every vacation includes a visit to a park or a garden that is characteristic of the place.
Mi piacciono i colori della stagione autunnale con gli alberi caducifoglie le cui foglie prima di cadere si tingono di tonalità che vanno dal giallo, all’arancione, al rosso. Un’esplosione di colori la cui bellezza raggiunge il culmine nei mesi di ottobre e novembre con il fenomeno definito foliage. When the leaves turn brown, they detach from the branches, float through the air and finally touch the ground. Walking on them creates a rustling sound that pleases the ear.  
Spring, with daisies growing freely in our meadows announces the blossoming season with its endless shades. Winter reveals only the bare structure of trunks and branches, mixed with evergreen trees. When I immerse myself in a park all my thoughts vanish, all tensions dissolve. It’s just me walking along a path discovering every corner. I feel like a child again, mouth open in wonder, amazed at what I see — as if it were always the first time seeing “something.”

What fascinates you the most? At first, I was only attracted by the aesthetic aspect and the feeling of peace, but during a dark period of my life, I began to perceive nature in a completely different way.

I started suffering from anxiety attacks — the kind that strike at night and keep you from sleeping, often over trivial things that I experienced as if they were catastrophes. I went to bed early, hoping to fall asleep quickly, knowing I would soon wake up suddenly — and goodbye to sleep. My breathing became labored, as if I were running out of air and my heart raced as if it were about to explode. I tried to take deep, steady breaths, but everything was out of control. I became paranoid about everything I did, repeating actions over and over because I was afraid I hadn’t actually done them — or had done them wrong — and might cause irreversible consequences. Then depression took over. The only thing I wanted to do was stay in bed, in a completely dark room, to protect myself from the presence that haunted me. Fear. You could say it was fear of my own shadow. It’s not something that happens overnight; it’s a very slow process. Often, you don’t even notice the changes, or maybe you just pretend not to, until they invade every aspect of your life and you can no longer ignore them.

Alongside therapy, the first activities I forced myself to do involved my home garden (always within a safe boundary). Mowing the lawn, watering plants, buying small plants and creating little arrangements to take care of. During this time, I discovered the world of terrariums. Miniature gardens in glass containers, open or closed, small ecosystems capable of sustaining and developing themselves independently. After a few months, I began taking walks in the surrounding countryside, collecting wildflowers like daisies, pansies, lavender, and meadow sage. Or small flowering branches that grew beyond the fences of nearby houses.
At a time when I didn’t want to do anything but stay in bed, these small activities turned out to be something profoundly positive. At first, it was more an effort than a desire — for months it was like that — but then I began to take an interest, to feel fascinated by this world to the point that I eventually enrolled in a garden design course.