Last summer I stumbled onto something pretty cool—turning my boring backyard into a place that's actually fun to be in. I mean, I always liked gardening, but it was mostly just flowers and stuff that looked nice. Then my friend suggested planting things that smell good or feel interesting to touch, and it kinda blew my mind.
I started with lavender (smells amazing, obviously), mint (great for mojitos, lol), and lamb's ear because it's super soft and fuzzy. Also added some wind chimes and a little water feature—nothing fancy, just enough trickling sound to chill me out after work. Honestly, it's been awesome for stress relief.
Thinking about adding more stuff this spring—maybe something edible like strawberries or herbs? Or plants that attract butterflies and bees...not sure yet. Curious if anyone else has tried something similar or has suggestions on other plants or elements worth adding?
Your garden sounds amazing—I did something similar a couple years back. Started with herbs like rosemary and basil, which smell great and are handy for cooking. Then I added strawberries, and honestly, picking fresh berries right from the yard is pretty satisfying. One thing I'd recommend is bee balm—it's colorful, smells nice, and butterflies love it. Plus, hummingbirds started showing up too, which was an unexpected bonus...definitely worth considering if you want more wildlife around.
Bee balm sounds interesting—never heard of it before. Does it spread quickly or stay pretty contained? I'm always cautious about plants taking over the yard... learned that lesson the hard way with mint, haha.
Bee balm is great, but yeah, it can definitely spread if you're not careful. I planted some a few years back thinking it'd stay put, and now it's popping up in spots I didn't expect. Not as aggressive as mint (been there too, haha), but still something to keep an eye on. If you're worried, maybe try planting it in a container or a raised bed to keep it contained... worked pretty well for me.
