Sensory gardens

Sensory Garden sallow us to perceive & experience the world around us. There are five traditional sensory modes: sight, smell, touch, taste & sound.

However, there are other senses that allow us an awareness of our body in space, gravity, temperature, space & enclosure.

A well designed sensory garden will simulate all the senses, to a greater or lesser degree. You can design your garden to enhance this sensory panoply (the quality & nature of its spaces, boundaries, climate, materials, plants & fauna). If one of your senses is limited, you can explore other ways of making the garden full of sensory pleasures & curiosities.

A sensory trail provides a similar but more a structured sensorial journey, compared to a sensory garden. Along a sensory trail, different senses are sequentially stimulated & aroused (often encouraging you to explore texture, listen acutely for sounds, experience smells & a variety of spaces.

The following list suggests ways of enhancing the sensory dynamics of your garden.

Visually: Colour, contrast, luminosity, form, shape stimulate the visitor to a sensory garden.

Colour can be used to create the mood and sense of spaciousness of your garden, as well as for accent. Colour contrast (opposite on the colour wheel), colour harmony (close on the colour wheel), and colour temperature (cool or warm colours), colour intensity are all variables that can be explored.


Foliage colour: Colour is not just seen in flowers. Plant foliage & bark are equally important.



Plants with interesting foliage colour include:

Grasses (Poa, Festuca glauca, Pennesetum, Stipa).

Cordylines (red, variegated)

Deciduous species such as Melia, Acer.


Shape & form

The shape of garden spaces (linear, geometric or curved & flowing) affects our movement & appreciation of it. The shape of garden elements, structures (paths, boundaries, garden beds) plants, smooth or abrupt edges, can all be utilized in a stimulating sensory garden design.


Texture

Plants with interesting textures include:

Rough & smooth barked barked Eucalyptus

Lagerstroemia indica

Gordonia axillaris

Succulents

Plants with interesting seed heads, pods, fruit

Banksia serrata

Stachys lanata

Callistemon

Pelargonium

Mosses


Taste

There are many edible ornamental plants. Some obvious examples are vegetables, fruit and herbs. These plants are highly decorative as well as productive. Edible plants are rewarding to grow because they do not require too much care. In a children’s sensory garden it is important that all plants are edible as everything is put into the mouth. This is the child’s way of maximizing the sensory exploration of the item, whether animal, vegetable or minimal, (as anyone who has watched children eating dirt will know!).

Examples are

Apples

Beetroot

Cherry tomatoes

Chives

Lettuces

Nasturiums

Rosemary

Strawberries


Aromatic Plants

Flowers are not the only source of garden scents. Many plants have aromatic foliage. Examples of plants with fragrant flowers and/or foliage are given below:

Herbs for scent

Thymus

Majorum

Mentha

Nasturtium

Lavandula

Rosmarinus

Trees and shrubs for scent

Backhousia citriodora (lemon-scented leaves)

Darwinia citiodora (lemon-scented leaves)

Eriostemon myoporoides

Eucalyptus species e.g. E. citriodora

Gardenia sp.

Helioptrope arborescens

Leptospermum petersonii (lemon-scented leaves)

Murraya paniculata (fragrant flowers)

Pelargonium (many with scented foliage)

Plumeria rubra (fragrant flowers)

Prostanthera sp.

Thryptomeme saxicola

Tulbaghia

Viola odorata


Plants with Movement

Grasses

Pennisetum alopecuroides (soft plumes like foxtails)

Poa labilliardieri

Isolepis nodosa

Stipa

Themeda australis (Kangaroo Grass)

Perennials (tall, wispy varieties):

Cosmos (especially chocolate scented Cosmos atrosanguineus)

Salvia patens, S. uliginosa, many others


Interesting Climbers

Akebia quinata (chocolate scented flowers)

Trachelospermum jasminoides (scented)

Hoya carnosa (waxy pretty flowers)


Fauna attracting plants

Butterfly attracting plants include

Austrodanthonia (Wallaby Grass)

Chrysocephalum (Helichrysum)

Lomandra

Pimelea (Rice Flower)

Poa

Stylidium graminifolium (Trigger Plant)

Themeda australis (Kangaroo Grass)

Xanthorrhoea

Birds are attracted to small leafed plants including

Acacia

Callistemon

Correa

Grevillea

Hakea

Correas

Banskias

Callistemon


Plants to propagate

Succulents are easy to propagate from cuttings, & frequently require minimal care or watering. There are many varieties with extraordinary textures & forms, and are well worth experimenting with in the garden.

Suggestions for getting started with your sensory garden

• Begin with easy care plants & seek advice from local nurseries.
• Native Plants: Try planting species indigenous to your locale, as they are ideally adapted to the climatic conditions.
• Poisonous & Dangerous Plants: Avoid plants with thorns, and toxic parts, especially if children visit the garden.
• Weeds: Always consider consulting a garden designer or your local nursery to assist with plant selection suitable for your climate, location and needs. Some species grown outside their natural habitat are considered noxious weeds. Consult you local council for information on weed species in your area.