GARDENS NURSERY

Gardening for the 5 Sense A sensory garden stimulates the use of the five senses. Plant material selected for therapeutic potential should provide a stimulus for enjoyment, be multipurpose in nature, have scented and interesting textural differences, provide for seasonal change and display brightly colored flowers, fruits, and foliage. Sight: A well-designed garden can give much visual pleasure and make a person feel relaxed and peaceful. Subtle gradations of color are calming while bright colors will stimulate and often cheer people up. Colour contracts in foliage can be appreciated by people with limited vision. Plants selected for their flower or foliage qualities for picking are very useful too. Sound: Sounds can be used for orientation, social contact, learning, and relaxation. Sounds can be introduced through running water, waterfalls, and windchimes, bird attracting plants, birdbaths, walking through autumn leaves, wind in the trees and other sounds heard while sitting in the garden such as sprinklers. For good garden audio, plant grasses and listen as the wind rustles through. Plants that attract bees are also great to give your sound garden a summer buzz. Smell: People with a visual impairment can benefit from fragrant and aromatic flowers, fruits, interesting leaf textures, and bark as it extends their range of sensitivities. Some plants yield their foliage or flower fragrance on a gentle breeze or by the heat of the sun. Scented plants not only provide a pleasant smell when rubbed, but it also allows for plant recognition. Touch: Plants that provide interesting tactile features include autumn leaves, seeds, plants such as lambs ears. The large shiny leaf of the Magnolia Grandiflora or the rough texture of borage leaves provides differing experiences. Taste: Taste is another sensation that can be stimulated through careful selection and placement of plant material. A vegetable or herb garden can promote a sense of accomplishment and confidence and can be used in cooking. Plants for a sensory garden Sight: Corn marigold (Chrysanthemum segetum): bold yellow flowers Scentless mayweed (Tripleurospermum maritimum/Matricaria inodora): yellow and white flowers Poppies (Papaver rhoeas): bright red blooms Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus): bright blue blooms Californian poppy (Eschscholzia californica): bright yellow and orange flowers Taste: Marjoram (Origanum vulgare): used for seasoning in a cooking, mild flavor Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): highly fragrant leaves, used to flavor meat and fish Fennel (Fennel Vulgare): strong anise smell and flavor Salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor): young leaves can be used in salads Chives (Allium schoenoprasum): pick young leaves for salads etc. Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus): tasty peppery orange and yellow flowers Wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca): small sweet fruit Alpine strawberries - Fruity taste. Sound: Quaking grass (Briza media): attractive shaking seed heads Wild oats (Avena sativa): another rustling plant Aspen (Populas tremula): delicate quivering foliage Yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor): rattling seed heads Canterbury bell (Campanula medium): great plant for buzzing bees Wind chimes - Delicate sound of bells. Waterfall - Soft, cooling sound of water. Bowles golden grass - Windblown color with a rustling sound. Touch: Stonecrop (Sedum album): thick fleshy leaves used to store water throughout drought Hedge woundwort (Stachys sylvatica): hairy leaves Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum): large spiny seed heads Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina): soft, furry leaves Cowslip (Primula veris): slightly hairy leaves Smell: Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile): sweet-smelling lawn of flowers Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria): almond-smelling flowers Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum): fragrant pink and yellow flowers Lavender (Lavendula spica): flowers are dried for making perfume and lavender bags Ramsons (Allium ursinum): also known as wild garlic, strong onion smell in spring Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria): the flowers smell of apricots Tansy (Chrysanthemum/Tanacetum vulgare): highly aromatic herb, effective insect repellent Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis): exotic flower with a lovely evening fragrance Camomile lawn - Scented and soft underfoot. Lemon verbena - Sharp citrus scent. Wild ferns - Soft green woodland scent. Thymes - Aromatic leaves and pink flowers Follow us on: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram