The Secret Sensory Garden

How does your garden grow?

Honestly, I don’t have much of a green thumb, but I revel in the natural world around me. My grandma sure had the green thumb, maybe a whole hand for growing things. There’s always been some starting sprout, or vining plant hanging over the kitchen or bedroom windows. Do you ever spend time out in nature, a calm hike, sitting on a bench under the sky, or a leisurely day at the park or a garden?

Photo purchased from disabilityimages.com

I’ve recently been seeing a trend for Sensory Gardens. Sensory gardens are designed to specifically engage our senses and be a safe, comfortable environment for enjoyment and wonder. They are purposefully made accessible for anyone and can be therapeutic, healing, and even just a great place for socializing in open air. Public Sensory Gardens are popping up as free resources in our communities as well as in some health care organizations. Some people choose to build sensory gardens in their own backyards; maybe this will be your next project, for yourself or someone you support. So what kind of things might be found in these gardens? Let’s break it down by our senses:

Sight: Sight is the most traditional feature when considering a garden. Different plants will be used for their color: warm colors for passion and activity or cool colors for a calm, peaceful atmosphere. Other things considered are shape, size, and texture. Visual appeal will of course go into other elements like pathways, benches, raised plant beds (another useful accessible feature), and even sculptures or mirrors. Ask the experts for what flowers attract butterflies and birds. One source told me butterfly weed (Ascelpias tuberosa) will entice monarch butterflies to visit.

Sound: Some sound will come naturally like the wind rustling leaves, tall grasses, or even some seed pods rattle if shook. So that the garden isn’t entirely reliant upon bird visitors to bring their songs, some sensory gardens have wind chimes or trickling water fountains and brooks. I found one UK hospital included built in outdoor instruments like xylophones, bells, and drums for visitors to play with for fun or therapy.

Touch: Immediately what comes to mind is soft fuzzy lamb’s ear (or as the experts say Stachys byzantine). As a child, I declared this the best in my grandma’s garden as I loved rubbing my fingers on the velvety leaf. (I still would if I had access to such a plant.) Touch in a sensory garden is all about texture and safety. We don’t want roses (because of their thorns) in this section and of course avoid anything else that is dangerous. Instead, there are a variety of mosses, feathery grasses, furry leaves, and soft foliage’s to be found.

Smell: Ah! Taking a deep breath in the clean outdoors can be relaxing for anyone. When the air is perfumed with natural floral scents, it can be delightful or relaxing. Think scents such as pines, fresh-cut grass, mulch, and various herbs like mint, rosemary, thyme, lemon, or lavender. Of course strong scented blossoms can also be included as long as they aren’t too close together. Hyacinths and lilacs were recommended. (I vote purple lilacs, not only for their color but their perfume is sweeter than the white.)

Taste: Last but not least, taste is a particularly grand section for home gardens. Many public gardens will include blueberries and raspberries but when building your own you could have strawberries, cucumbers, carrots, or any combination of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. A friend of my grandma once fried flower blossoms for me; you’d have to ask her and the other experts which greens and petals are safe for ingestion.

Penn State has more ideas to get you started with your own sensory garden: extension.psu.edu/creating-a-sensory-garden

Pennsylvania is still in the budding stages of Sensory Gardens but we do have a few gardens to visit. Be sure to check websites/call ahead to make sure the garden is available for your planned visit.