30/08/2026
šæ Why outdoor spaces matter to meā¦
When I think back on my childhood, some of my fondest memories werenāt planned activities, expensive toys or organised entertainment.
They were simply outside.
Building cubby houses. Collecting snails with my cousins. Riding our bikes for hours. Making āmagic potionsā out of anything we could find. Sand play, mud cakes and getting absolutely filthy. Swinging as high as we dared. Countless picnics on the grass and splashing through puddles after the rain.
We were exploring. Imagining. Creating. Problem-solving. Negotiating. Taking risks. Getting things wrong and trying again.
At the time, we just thought we were playing.
Now, with my background in Early Childhood Education, I understand just how much learning and development was actually happening in those moments.
Outdoor environments give children opportunities to explore, discover, be curious, move their bodies, engage in creative and imaginative play and connect with the natural world. These are the exact kinds of experiences recognised within Australiaās Early Years Learning Framework and National Quality Framework as important for childrenās learning, wellbeing and development.
As a parent, I made a conscious effort to give my own children those same opportunities when they were little ; to get dirty, explore, create their own games and use what was around them to fuel their imagination.
But now theyāre teenagers, I can see just how much things change.
Technology has a place in our lives;Iām certainly not against it; but our lives are busier, our blocks are getting smaller and it has become incredibly easy to stop looking up.
To stop noticing the flowers.
To stop wandering outside simply because the sun is shining.
To stop sitting on the grass, talking, exploring and experiencing what is happening around us.
And Iāve realised something else.
This isnāt only about children.
Somewhere along the way, many of us adults have forgotten how to do it too.
We rush from work, to home, to appointments, to jobs that need doing, and then often finish the day sitting in front of another screen.
Yet connection with nature matters for us as well.
Research involving almost 20,000 people found that spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature was associated with a greater likelihood of reporting good health and high wellbeing. The World Health Organization also recognises green spaces as important for relaxation, physical activity, social connection, stress reduction and mental wellbeing.
And that is why I believe your outdoor space matters; whether you have acres of land, a small suburban backyard, a courtyard or a little patch outside your door.
It doesnāt have to be elaborate.
It needs to give you a reason to go outside and use it.
A place for children to dig, investigate, create and imagine.
A place for teenagers to get away from their screens.
A place to have dinner outside with your family.
A garden to potter in.
Somewhere to sit with a coffee in the morning.
A patch of grass for bare feet.
A shady corner at the end of a long day.
A place to simply be present.
For a long time, I struggled a little with changing careers. I loved Early Childhood Education, and as a lecturer I was incredibly passionate about encouraging future educators to nurture childrenās curiosity, imagination, investigation and connection with the world around them.
Working full-time with Oxford meant I wasnāt sharing that knowledge directly with children and educators anymore.
But lately Iāve realised that passion hasnāt actually gone anywhere.
My audience has just changed.
Now I get to bring that understanding into the spaces we create.
I get to think about how an environment will feel, how it will be used, what it might encourage someone to do, and how we can create spaces that genuinely add something to peopleās lives.
Whether weāre creating a nature-play environment for a childcare centre, a garden for a family home, a space for an aged-care facility or a commercial landscape used by hundreds of people; there are humans at the centre of it.
And thatās the part I care about.
Oxford isnāt just here to lay turf, plant gardens, build walls or pour concrete.
We want to create outdoor environments that people actually want to live in.
Places where children can imagine.
Where families can connect.
Where adults can slow down.
Where you can breathe, unwind, laugh, play, entertain, potter, explore; or simply sit quietly and enjoy where you are.
Because at the end of the day, a beautiful outdoor space shouldnāt just look good.
It should make life feel a little better. šæ
ā Emma
Oxford Landscaping Company
