Living near the Fitzroy Gardens, I stroll silently for an hour a day amid the myriad trees and glorious daffodils, revelling in peace and beauty in these difficult times.

Facing four brick walls for many solitary hours is stultifying, even stupefying, leaving me feeling down about the state of the world, especially Melbourne. Too many news reports are depressing, deciding to switch on to nature as inspiration instead.

This spiritual escape has provided beauty therapy that surrenders all potions and lotions as superfluous, abandoning make-up and letting my hair flow freely in the wind without its usual daily blow dry and hairspray, needing no mask but a cotton one to feel innately beautiful.

Basking in the warm sunshine and smelling the soothing aromas of colourful flowers now in bloom, spring can be celebrated as a time of wondrous rebirth; not just of nature, but of us all. Our environs are full of trees regrowing their green leaves after winter denuded them into stark skeletons of their former selves.

The palette of patterns across the landscape of shrubs and floral arrangements reflect that planting the right seeds, and tending with love and care, can renew life in all its beauty.

This is what we need right now, a positive psychology and life-affirming philosophy to reimagine a beautiful life again, taking our cue from the creative delight of an amazing leaf or flower design, while listening to the birds singing and winging majestically overhead.

As parents push their prams along the paths, the images conjure faith in a baby embodying the joy and gift of life itself, sleeping contentedly amid the lush greenery and gorgeous flowers.

At one garden entrance, a grand, stone River God fountain, erected in 1862, stands as testimony to the artistic acumen and religious beliefs of humankind as much as that encompassed by nature.

Many others amble alone or with a partner, all breeds of dogs leading the way on their leash, barking briefly to greet their fellow canines with friendly empathy. Behind their masks, their owners say hello as I pass, their eyes smiling at the same time.

There is a sense of community and an emotional connection among strangers in the gardens beyond the possible danger of the virus floating in the streets close by. A sense of paradise pervades the promenades, imbued with a faith that all seems right in the world as we enjoy time out to appreciate the remarkable renaissance of nature which embraces us all.