Sensory gardens have gained popularity for their therapeutic benefits, offering a serene escape that engages the senses. These gardens are designed to be visually appealing and stimulate the senses of touch, smell, taste, and sound.
This guide will walk you through building a sensory garden, from design to planting, including a sensory garden plant list with recommendations for each sense.
Want to design your sensory garden with experts at MK Landscapes and Design Ltd? Call us on 07477 798962 today!
Looking to transform your garden into a sensory haven? At MK Landscapes and Design Ltd, our expert landscapers specialise in creating bespoke sensory gardens that engage all five senses.
What Is A Sensory Garden?
A sensory garden is a carefully designed space that engages the senses through plants and their natural features. It aims to create a multisensory garden experience by appealing to the five senses: sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste. The beauty of a sensory garden lies in its ability to enhance the well-being of those who visit or use it, making it an asset for personal enjoyment or therapeutic purposes.
Key Principles Of Sensory Garden Design
When embarking on sensory garden planning, focusing on the layout is essential, as the design plays a crucial role in creating a sensory environment. Here are some essential considerations to keep in mind:
1. Incorporating A Variety Of Senses
To create a genuinely immersive sensory garden, it is vital to design with all five senses in mind. This means choosing plants and features that stimulate different sensory experiences.
- Touch: Include soft, textured plants like lamb’s ears or plants with interesting foliage, such as the silvery leaves of Artemisia.
- Smell: Aromatic garden plants such as lavender, rosemary, or jasmine will fill the air with delightful fragrances.
- Sound: Consider adding plants with rustling leaves or grasses that move in the wind, such as ornamental grasses or bamboo, which create a soothing, natural sound.
- Taste: Incorporate edible plants like strawberries, herbs, or fruit trees. Not only do they add variety to your garden design, but they also offer a rewarding tasting experience.
- Sight: Visual garden plants with vibrant colours, like sunflowers or marigolds, can enhance the visual appeal.
2. Designing For Accessibility
Sensory gardens should be inclusive and accessible to all, including those with physical or sensory impairments. Pathways should be wide enough for wheelchairs or mobility aids, and the garden layout should offer easy navigation, perhaps with raised beds for those with limited mobility. Consider incorporating benches or seating areas into the sensory garden design to encourage relaxation and enjoyment.
3. Creating Zones Or Themes
Dividing the garden into sections can be a helpful way to create different sensory experiences. Using garden design techniques like raised beds, container gardens, or small water features can help define these areas.
Planting A Sensory Garden: Choosing The Right Plants
Choosing the right plants is crucial to creating a sensory garden that offers a multisensory garden experience. Below is a sensory garden plant list to help guide your planting decisions.
Aromatic Garden Plants
The scent is one of the most powerful senses in a sensory garden. Aromatic plants can have a calming, therapeutic effect, promoting relaxation. Some recommended plants for this purpose include:
- Lavender: Known for its calming scent, lavender is a must-have in any aromatic garden.
- Rosemary: Rosemary has a strong herbal aroma and is a great culinary herb.
- Jasmine: Jasmine has a sweet, fragrant aroma that blooms beautifully, especially in the evening.
- Mint: Mint is easy to grow and offers a refreshing scent, often loved for its cooling properties.
Visual Garden Plants
Sight plays a significant role in how we perceive and enjoy our surroundings. Incorporating plants with vibrant flowers, foliage, or striking colours will stimulate the visual senses. Popular visual garden plants include:
- Sunflowers: These bright, sunny flowers are visually stimulating and attract pollinators like bees.
- Marigolds: With their bright orange and yellow blooms, marigolds provide a cheerful touch to your sensory garden.
Sensory Plants For Touch
Tactile plants are a key component of a sensory garden. Soft, velvety leaves, smooth textures, or even plants with thorns or spiky foliage can create unique experiences. Some examples include:
- Lamb’s Ears: Its soft, velvety leaves provide a tactile experience that encourages touch.
- Aloe Vera: The thick, fleshy leaves are soothing, and aloe also has medicinal uses.
Plants For Sound
Sound is unique in sensory gardens, adding an auditory dimension to the experience. Wind chimes, water features, and plants with rustling leaves can create soothing sounds. Some plants that contribute to the soundscape include:
- Bamboo: Bamboo makes a gentle rustling sound when the wind blows through it, offering a calming experience.
- Ornamental grasses: Varieties such as Miscanthus or Pennisetum create soft, rustling sounds in the breeze.
Edible Plants For Taste
Including edible plants adds another layer of sensory stimulation. Tasting the fruits or herbs in your garden offers a rewarding, hands-on experience. Some easy-to-grow edible plants include:
- Strawberries: A sweet treat that can be enjoyed fresh from the garden.
- Tomatoes: With many varieties available, tomatoes can provide flavour.
How To Build Your Sensory Garden
When planting your sensory garden, it’s essential to consider the plants themselves and the garden’s structure. Here are some garden design tips and planting essentials to help you get started:
- Assess your space: Take note of sunlight, shade, soil type, and specific environmental conditions.
- Choose your plants: Based on the sensory aspects you want to highlight, select plants from your sensory garden plant list.
- Plant in layers: To create a sensory environment, plant taller plants towards the back and shorter plants in front.
- Consider maintenance: Choose plants that suit your gardening expertise and how much time you can devote to garden care.
- Watering and mulching: Ensure your garden is well-watered and mulch around plants to retain moisture and keep weeds at bay.
Benefits Of Sensory Gardens
Creating a sensory environment has numerous benefits, from boosting mental health to encouraging outdoor exploration. Sensory gardens are particularly beneficial for:
- Therapeutic gardens are used in healthcare settings to aid recovery or reduce stress.
- Relaxation: They offer a peaceful retreat where visitors can unwind and enjoy the therapeutic benefits of nature.
- Sensory stimulation: Ideal for children or individuals with sensory processing issues, as well as older adults, especially those with dementia.
Contact MK Landscapes
Let MK Landscapes And Design Ltd Create Your Sensory Garden!
A sensory garden is an excellent way to connect with nature and enrich outdoor space. You can create a multisensory garden experience that appeals to sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste through careful planning and plant selection.
MK Landscapes and Design Ltd offers a unique opportunity to create a personalised outdoor space that looks beautiful and nurtures the senses.
With expert garden planning and design, MK Landscapes can help you select the perfect sensory plants, from aromatic garden plants to visually stimulating flowers, ensuring every garden corner is designed to engage and soothe.
Contact us today to transform your outdoor space into a multisensory haven that promotes relaxation and well-being.
