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Give Me A Break: Virtual Garden Tours Help Ease Stress

Working from home has its perks, but for many of us, social distancing and self-isolation can be challenging. Even if we do go out, most parks, public, and community gardens are closed. So why not take a 15-minute work break and take a virtual garden tour? 

Studies are showing that plant therapy can help reduce stress, anxiety, and even help with mood swings! 

Research by Harvard University links outdoor excursions to better mental health. And many doctors around the world are prescribing garden tools over medications to patients suffering from depression. 

So if you need a quick breather in your home office, grab a cup of coffee and tour one of the many gorgeous gardens online.

Volunteer Park Conservatory, Seattle WA 

If you’re looking for a tropical escape, the Volunteer Park Conservatory has your back. Sit back and enjoy one of the 15-minute virtual tours through the historic Victorian-style greenhouse. 

Each of the five rooms features a different environment with various plants, from bromeliads, palms, cacti, ferns, carnivorous plants, and more. 

After watching a trickling waterfall surrounded by lush greenery for just a few moments, I actually felt I could breathe easier. The conservatory has a bank of tours on its Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/vpconservatory/videos/1057711341279646/

Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, Papaikou, HI

How does Hawaii sound right about now? The virtual tour of the Tropical Botanical Garden is not to be missed. 

The gardens and nature preserve sit on 17 acres of land and feature waterfalls, boardwalks, streams, and over 2,000 different plant species. The coconut and mango palm trees on the property have been growing for a century! 

See you there!

Claude Monet’s Garden, Giverny, France

Art lovers will enjoy a virtual tour through the gardens that inspired the work of famed French painter, Claude Monet. 

He planted the gardens himself, and much of the work created by Monet in the last three decades of his life was copied from them, which boast hundreds of colorful blooms. 

 

Botanical Gardens, Montreal QC

The city of Montreal has a lot to offer, but since the tourism industry has come to a complete halt, enjoy the beautiful sights the Botanical Gardens have to offer from the comfort of your own home! 

Watch one of the many educational videos on the garden’s YouTube channel, or browse through hundreds of pictures of the different greenhouses and forms of plant life om site.

From Japanese, aquatic, and food gardens to gardens of innovations, weed-lessness, and medicinal plants, a daily virtual tour of the Botanical Gardens will do your mind some good.

SunLab Greenhouse, Maple Ridge, BC

Take the virtual tour of the SunLab greenhouse owned by Tantalus Labs, and you’ll see a big, bright, state of the art facility. 

There are rows and rows of lush, green plants in different stages of growth. It looks like any other greenhouse; only this one is dedicated to growing cannabis.

The tour uses Google street view and is meant to show people that cannabis cultivation is very similar to other forms of agriculture. 

Now get back to work! 

 

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Author

Catherine Sherriffs

Editor at Garden Culture Magazine

Catherine is a Canadian award-winning journalist who worked as a reporter and news anchor in Montreal’s radio and television scene for 10 years. A graduate of Concordia University, she left the hustle and bustle of the business after starting a family. Now, she’s the editor and a writer for Garden Culture Magazine while also enjoying being a mom to her three young kids. Her interests include great food, gardening, fitness, animals, and anything outdoors.