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FeedSeeds for the Soul: Boulevard Gardens
Nature has its soothing properties.
A jog along a sandy beach unwinds tightly coiled nerves with each wave that laps the shoreline. A mountain hike invigorates a spirit suffering from malaise. A simple stroll in a wooded glen replenishes depleted spirits.
Several recent scientific studies have analyzed nature’s healing effects. For overtaxed, stressed out adult nervous systems, Mother Nature is as comforting as mom’s ministrations when, as children, we were bed-ridden with the flu. A study in Michigan determined that even a brief walk in a natural setting increased memory and attention span.
Nature’s medicinal effects come as no surprise to Michael Berry, founder and owner of Boulevard Gardens. Although Berry’s initial bachelor’s degree is in accounting, he has always had an affinity for gardening. “My love for working with my hands came from my grandmother, who always had a huge vegetable and ornamental garden on her farm west of Red Oak, Iowa. As a small child I would help her tend the garden and harvest fruits and vegetables,” Berry recalls. When he wanted to leave accounting for a more creative way in which to make a living, he harkened back to those early memories involving his grandmother and their time spent digging in the soil. The result: Boulevard Gardens, established in 1999.
Boulevard Gardens is not just another landscaping business. Berry focuses on how the natural world enhances our mind-body connection and promotes health and spiritual well-being. To Berry, a garden is not simply what flowers to combine with one another to create spring to fall color or what furniture or ornaments to include to lend a garden architectural interest. Certainly, these are the backbone of any visually appealing garden. But Berry seeks to create a haven for his clients, a place of refuge they can seek after a busy day at the office. Says Berry: “I think many people want a place to decompress, a place of peace and serenity to escape some of the world’s stress if even for a moment.”
Gardening, like interior design, allows for a variety of styles. While Berry has created numerous “traditional” gardens, he admits he likes to stretch himself artistically and step out of his comfort zone. He recently carried a clients’ mid-century home interior style out to their garden. “Good design should marry the architecture of the house and the landscape to create great harmony,” believes Berry. An English cottage garden just would not work.
Berry offers garden designs to fit each client’s need and budget. His “Small Wonders” garden was created to afford homeowners a refuge in which to unwind at day’s end without breaking a budget. “A ‘Small Wonders’ garden could be something as simple as a small water feature to create a relaxing sound and some new container plantings to add color and soft fragrance,” states Berry.
Berry’s “Quiet Spectacles” garden is meant to draw homeowners out of doors with grand statements. Whether it features an exquisite piece of sculpture or elegant pottery or focuses on outdoor living spaces in which to entertain, the end remains the same: to “energize the soul…and connect with the important people in your life,” Berry says.
Sustainability is essential to Berry. He purposely selects low maintenance plants that grow well in Nebraska without too much tending. In doing so, Berry is servicing both his clients, who wish for a place to relax without added work, as well as the environment. Sustainable gardens require no chemical treatments or excessive water input after they are established. Old-fashioned varieties like deliciously fragrant peonies and hardy Rugosa roses are favorites. They require little work and reward homeowners with soothing scent.
Berry believes that it is important for a garden to reflect its owner’s life and personality. Gardens connect us to nature and our souls, he maintains. They center us. By just stepping out our back door with our morning coffee or evening wine, we can take in the calming beauty of nature.
For more information on Boulevard Gardens, call 968-0881 or visit the website at www.boulevardgardens.com.
