How to Create an Outdoor Nest

If you have a large tree, you have an almost instant nest in your outside space. The line of most tree branches is an arcing curve — perfect to enclose a space as a ceiling. This tree creates an intimate setting for a dining area, gracefully providing shade and protection from above. The bench continues the line of the tree creating another place to rest. This space is also situated below grade, so it feels somewhat cave-like thanks to the surrounding berms of earth. I could spend hours in this nest!

Your dining area doesn't have to be carved out of a hill to feel intimate though! The addition of a framework of medium-sized grasses make "walls" around this space to create a nest-like environment without losing the view of the pool.
Large grasses would have made the space feel claustrophobic, while shorter grasses wouldn't have given the same feeling of being "hidden away." This medium height is just right!

Here is another example of plantings that are the exact right height. They surround this nest without creating a cloistered feel. If the plants were any shorter though, they wouldn't give a feeling of protection. This particular nest is situated on the side of a slight slope or hill which gives an added feel of protection and opens up to a vista below.
In the midst of the quivering breezes of rosemary, salvia and lavender, with olive trees hovering in the background, I wish I was the dragon bathing in that fountain!

Whether you are bathing in water or simply listening to it rushing by, this natural element is always welcome in or near a nest. Immersing yourself in a body of water is the ultimate in protection and is a natural calming element that hearkens back to life in the womb.
Surrounding water with plants and creating areas that feel safe and protected is a double whammy. Notice in this photo how the people are all standing in little carved out spaces under greenery, or surrounded by greenery, while still accessing the view of the water.