Creating a Feel-Good Garden

Known to have great health benefits by providing a calm and relaxing environment, sensory gardens are designed to stimulate the five senses – sight, smell, touch, taste and sound

A sensory garden is a great addition to any outdoor space. You don’t need a large space to make an impact – sensory spaces can be any size, ranging from a window box to a large open area. If you are planning or designing a sensory garden for someone with limited mobility then consider ramps or sloped access paths plus raised beds and plants that are accessible for anyone in a wheelchair.

Think about the sights, smells, textures, tastes and sounds you love and plant them into your garden:

Sight – include flowers, leaves, berries, and grasses in your garden to create interest throughout the year. Sunflowers have bright and bold flowers and are fast growers. You could also plant hydrangeas, as they produce large colourful blooms which are great to touch.

Smell – honeysuckle will fill the air and lemon scented geranium has crinkly leaves that smell of lemon when rubbed. There’s also the popular chocolate cosmos, which smells like a chocolate-vanilla mixture and herbs such as lavender, rosemary, thyme and mint.

Touch – a sensory garden can be full of different textures such as lamb’s ear which feels woolly and soft to the touch and silver sage with large, silvery-white leaves covered in cotton wool like down. Ornamental grasses like Mexican feather are also popular.

Taste – there’s nothing better than picking and eating vegetables and fruit which you have grown yourself. Start with easy growers such as carrots, radishes, lettuces and tomatoes. Herbs and peas are also a safe bet along with edible flowers like nasturtium and marigold.

Sound – easily created by planting bamboo and ornamental grasses that rustle gently in the breeze. A water feature is great for birds and wildlife, and lets the soothing sounds of running water create a natural soundtrack.
This is still a tidy-up time in the garden but you can start thinking ahead. Take some tips from TV gardener and presenter David Domoney: “Get more plants for free by saving seeds from your favourite plants. You can collect seeds from your garden and the wild, but make sure you have labeled the seeds clearly so you know what they are next spring! It’s important to keep the lawn clear of any fallen leaves as they can harbour disease and harm the grass. Rake them up and put them in a compost bin, then apply a fertiliser.”

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