Creating a Sensory Garden with Native Plants

Sensory gardens are gardens that are specifically designed to appeal to all five senses.  They are excellent places for children to interact with plants and the natural world in a pleasant way. 

Choosing A Site 

Sensory gardens can be large or small.  Pick a site that has good drainage and is safe.  Paths should be well maintained.  To help children enjoy the garden, place plants on different structures so the child can sit, stand, and climb to explore the plants.  Since this is a children’s garden, make sure that everything you plant is non-toxic.  Put plants with thorns at the back of the beds where children cannot reach them. 

Awakening The Senses 

Most people plant ornamental plants in a sensory garden.  Don’t forget vegetables and herbs have a place in the garden, too.  Children are more likely to eat vegetables they have grown, so grow enough to let the children pick and eat some. 

Sight 

A garden should have plants that bloom from early spring to fall so the pollinators will always have food.  Children can watch the bees, butterflies, and bird enjoy the flowers.  Plant things that have different heights and textures.  Warm colors such as reds, oranges, and yellows should be balanced with cool colors such as blue, white, and purple. 

Hearing 

A garden naturally has the sound of the wind through the leaves.  Adding a water stream or fountain adds the bubble of water.  A bird bath and bird feeding station will encourage birds to stop by and sing their songs.  Animals will also be drawn to the water, and they make noises, too.  Windchimes make a nice sound for children to hear. 

Touch 

Include plants with a variety of textures for children to touch.  Rough bark, soft flowers, fuzzy leaves, and other textures are fun to feel.  This is a good time to teach children to be gentle when they touch nature, so they do not harm it.  Smooth stones in the water features or in the flower beds also invite touch. 

Smell 

Many flowers have scents.  Include plants that are scented, too.  Children stepping on creeping thyme can release its strong scent.  In contrast, nasturtium has a delicate aroma.  Many herbs have strong scents, such as rosemary, thyme, mint, and lavender.  Don’t plant a bunch of fragrant flowers on top of each other.  Separate the fragrant plants with plants that are not very fragrant so children can discern the individual scents of each flower. 

Taste 

Everything that grows in a sensory garden should be non-toxic.  Children handle plants and taste them, so do not grow toxic things in the garden.  That said, include some vegetables in the sensory garden for the children to taste.  Some flowers, such as Nasturtium, are edible.  Herbs like mint have a strong taste.  Let the children harvest edible plants and then enjoy them in a picnic. 

What Plants Do I Use? 

We carry a number of plants that are perfect for a sensory garden.  Here are a few favorites. 

Kiwis 

Kiwis are vines native to New Zealand that produce brown fruit covered in hair.  The green fruit is considered delicious, but the skin is not usually eaten.  Kiwis grow in zones 7-9, so not everyone can grow them.  If you can, however, the outside of the fruit stimulates touch, and the inside stimulates taste. 

Echinacea (Purple Coneflower) 

Echinacea is a 1-3 feet tall flowering plant native to North America.  The petals are purple and are arranged around a brown middle covered in orange hairs.  The petals are used to make a tea that is rich in vitamin C.  Pollinators of all kinds, including the Monarch butterfly, love these flowers.  Echinacea blooms all summer and is a hardy, tough plant that needs little care once established. 

Black-Eyed Susan 

Black-Eyed Susan is a short-lived perennial that will reseed and appear yearly. It is native to North America and common on the prairie.  The flowers are on stalks that stick up over the green leaves.  The bright yellow daisy-like flowers have a dark center.  The stems and leaves are covered with bristly hairs. 

New York Fern 

The New York fern is graceful and is native to the Eastern United States.  Placing ferns in a sensory garden lets children feel a plant that dates back to the dinosaurs.  The vibrant green fronds are soft and delicate looking, but the plant is a hardy, low maintenance plant that comes back year after year. 

Wild Strawberry Plant 

Wild strawberries have sweet red berries that poke out among the green leaves.  Wild strawberries make a wonderful groundcover for your sensory garden.  The white flowers that proceed the berry are delicate and pretty.  The plants spread by rhizomes and will quickly fill the area they are planted in. 

Maximilian Sunflower

 Maximilian Sunflowers are tall prairie plants with vibrant yellow flowers.  Sunflowers attract pollinators when blooming.  The seeds are a favorite of birds.  People eat them as well.  Sunflowers can be up to ten feet and can form dense colonies on the prairie.     

We Can Help 

Our sales staff at TN Nursery will be happy to suggest plants for a sensory garden.  We know what plants grow best in your area.  Simply call 931.692.7325 to get help and order plants for your sensory garden. 

Best Sellers

Kiwi Plant - TN Nursery

Kiwi Plant (Ships Now)

The Kiwi Plant is vine-like with heart-shaped leaves and clusters of fuzzy, brownish-green, egg-shaped fruits with sweet, green, or gold flesh. It is typically grown for its delicious and nutritious fruit. It is a remarkable and highly versatile woody vine renowned for its unique characteristics and horticultural value. This captivating plant offers several positive attributes, making it a sought-after addition to gardens and landscapes. The Kiwi Plant Can Get 40 Feet Tall   The Kiwi plant has robust vines that reach up to 40 feet. Their velvety leaves can grow up to five inches long. They feature fuzzy stems with five- or six-petal, creamy-white blooms that eventually develop a buff-yellow hue. The stems can range in color from shades of burgundy red to dark green. These produce oval-shaped, egg-sized fruit, which develops from the fertilized blossoms. Their enormous, glossy, deep-green leaves resemble those of many tropical species. They can grow into massive canopies of greenery, giving the yard a forest-like or tropical vibe. Enjoy The Fast Growing Of The Kiwi Plant The showy display of greenery and rapid vine growth make them great for quickly adding dense foliage to your yard. They have long petioles that support their oval-shaped leaves. You can use the thick foliage to create natural privacy screens or to add seclusion to outdoor spaces. The leaves and branches tend to stay covered in red hair while they're young. As they mature, they lose their red hair and turn dark green with light green veins. Enjoy Delightful Aromas During the Spring With Kiwi Plant In April, clusters of tiny, fragrant flowers bloom along the vines. These aromatic blossoms attract pollinators with their fragrance, which is critical to fruit-bearing because it relies on pollinators like bees and butterflies. Once they bear fruit, their fruitful aromas become even more vital. The garden becomes a tropical paradise when planted among other tropical plants with scented blooms, fragrant leaves, or exotic fruit. Kiwi Plant is a vigorous climber. Its dense foliage quickly covers trellises and arbors. Its ability to grow fast also makes it useful for filling empty spaces in gardens and landscaping, such as between flowerbeds. The vigorous vines can grow together over fences and walls, providing uniquely shaded areas and adding natural strength to pergola archways. Some people use them to define garden borders. Their tropical appearance simplifies the creation of attractive vertical garden designs with an exotic vibe.

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Echinacea Plant- TN Nursery

Echinacea Plant

The echinacea plant is a famous Spring and Summer blooming pollinator perennial. It's also known as the Purple Coneflower Plant. At maturity, it can grow from 1 to 3 feet in height and serves as a master of the flower garden to attract monarchs, goldfinches, and all types of pollinators and birds. Monarchs flock to these plants at TN Nursery. Go to YouTube and search "TN Nursery Monarchs on Coneflower Plants" to see all the videos Tammy puts on YouTube to prove they flock to them. This is our best-seller perennial, and for a good reason; look at the videos, the proof's here! Echinacea Plant Blooms Light-Dark Purple Echinacea plants are beautiful native perennial flowers with super sturdy stems holding the flowers in place. They have daisy-shaped blooms but are dark purple and very colorful in a sun garden. Depending on the pH of your soil, the blooms range from pale purple to deep purple when the pH is balanced.  Echinacea Plant Has Unique Foliage  This perennial has lanced-shaped leaves and blooms, and they vary in size, often ranging from medium height to larger, making them unfit. They are also a favorite in flower beds and gardens alike. There are other species of coneflowers, known as cultivars. The yellow varieties are well-accented. The Echinacea Plant Does Well In Dry Areas  Echinacea plants prefer the sun and a good drainage area. The spreading petals offer the flower a disc-like appearance, often used in many upscale landscaping designs and schemes. These long-blooming perennials rebloom every spring, offering years of enjoyment in the garden.  They can also thrive in partial shade. Being one of the top pollinator flowers, this is deficient maintenance and easy to care for. It's a wildflower native to the Eastern United States, and some of the D.O.T.s have planted it in interstate mediums to restore the monarch's extinction. They are highly sustainable flowers that you will never tire of due to their ability to ward off pests and diseases, making them highly desirable. TN Nurseries' Absolute Best Selling Plant Of All Times

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Black Eyed Susan - TN Nursery

Black Eyed Susan

Black Eyed Susan has vibrant yellow petals and dark, contrasting centers and is a popular and delightful addition to any landscaping project. This native North American wildflower offers a host of pleasing attributes that make it a sought-after choice for gardens and outdoor spaces. From its adaptability to its visual appeal and ecological benefits, it stands out as a versatile and attractive plant. Why Choose Black-Eyed Susan The Black-Eyed Susan or Rudbeckia Hirta is a beautiful and popular flower that blooms each year in North America. With yellow flowers surrounding a dark circular center, this plant serves an aesthetic purpose in any landscape and draws in bees and butterflies. Due to its hardiness and versatility, the plant is suitable for growing in the garden for beginners and professionals.  The Black Eyed Susan is valued for ornamental purposes and its contribution to the maintenance of ecosystems. Moreover, black-eyed susan plants for sale have stunning flowers that can be added to your garden for curb appeal. Features of Black Eyed Susan Plant The Black-Eyed Susan has bright yellow petals with a dark brown or black Eye in the middle, which makes it a vivid plant that would look great in any garden.  This plant attracts bees, butterflies, and many other beneficial insects, so it should be included in any pollinator garden. The black-eyed susan plant is relatively adaptable. It does well in arid conditions and simple soil types, making it a perfect pick for any low-maintenance garden. It prefers regions receiving full or partial sun exposure. It has a growth habit of 2 to 3 feet tall with a similar width, enhancing the green appearance of areas where it is grown. This plant does not need much attention once established and usually grows well. It is relatively immune to many garden pests and diseases. Growers of black-eyed susan plants can also contribute to habitat and care for one's patch of land by offering food for pollinators and other more valuable insects. Black Eyed Susan Perennials Returns Every Spring and Summer Season Buy black-eyed susan plants and add these beautiful flowers to your garden, like our other popular ornamental plants, such as echinacea, shasta daisy, or coneflower plants.

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Thelypteris noveboracensis - TN Nursery

New York Fern

The New York Fern is a native, deciduous species with delicate, lacy fronds and a distinctive appearance, commonly found in Eastern North American woodlands. These medium-sized ferns offer a delightful display of yellow-green fronds that carpet the forest floor. The fern has a delicate blade shape with a triangular leaf structure. The plant's blade is most comprehensive in the middle and tapers sharply at both ends. The New York Fern is a type of plant that grows well throughout the eastern part of North America, and it's found in large numbers throughout New York. This perennial is what you need to fill specific spaces in your yard that would benefit from greenery but might not be as friendly towards some of the flowers that currently occupy your space. Let's see why this plant might fit your current landscape well. New York Fern Reduces Soil Erosion and Weed Growth The fern is typically used as ground cover in areas where grass and other plants don't do as well. As a result, filling these spaces comes with some benefits. First, this plant takes root to prevent soil erosion in areas where soil isn't being kept in place by root systems. As an added benefit, the growth of this lush green plant throughout your yard makes it difficult for weeds to take root, preventing unwanted weed growth. New York Ferns Absorbs Airborne Pollutants These plants are adept at capturing pollutants from the air, making it easier for you to breathe and enjoy your outdoor space. If you're constantly bothered by dust or pollen, consider adding this plant to your landscape and others known to improve air quality. Add Bio-Diversity To Your Garden With The New York Ferns Biodiversity is essential on any property, and you'll find that this plant is a friend to local wildlife. For example, this ground cover is known to serve as an excellent cover for certain animals like toads. The better news? It's not a plant typically sought after by larger animals like deer, which means it will cover other animals until the cold weather comes in. New York Fern is a fast-growing plant that will quickly establish itself in your space, and trailing rhizomes will constantly be shooting up additional fronds that provide an even thicker look to your space. If you're looking for something hard to ruin and will start thriving in specific spaces almost immediately, this is the ground cover to go with.

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Wild Strawberry Plant - TN Nursery

Wild Strawberry Plant

Wild Strawberry Plant is a low-growing perennial herb with trifoliate leaves and small, sweet, red berries, often found in various habitats, including woodlands, meadows, and gardens. Many names know the wild Strawberry Plant, but most people can recognize the fruits by sight. While it is famous as a fruit, this groundcover is also a popular ornamental in home gardens. It will quickly spread through runners once you put it in the ground. These runners can be moved to different areas or leave them where they are for a packed bed of green leaves and red fruits. Using The Wild Strawberry Plant As an Ornamental This perennial grows along roads, dams, and trails in the wild. You can often find it at the edges of woodlands and meadows. It needs light to form fruit, so you won’t see any strawberries if it is planted in a shaded area. It simply looks like a cluster of lovely green leaves in these spaces. This herbaceous perennial is technically a member of the rose family, although it doesn’t resemble the rose in appearance. It usually propagates using runners, so new leaves and flowers develop next to the original growth. If viable seeds are present, they will sometimes germinate in seed banks if they are undisturbed. Discover Lovely Wild Strawberry Plant Flowers Before the fruit develops, this perennial creates delicate, white flowers. It typically blooms in spring. As spring ends and early summer begins, the flowers turn into small, red fruits. This fruit is unique among other flora because the seeds are on the outside of the fruit. The Beautiful Leaves Of Wild Strawberry Plant While the fruit is the most famous part of this perennial, the leaves are also charming. In spring, the light-green leaves come out. They grow in threes and have toothed margins. Then, the leaves turn vivid colors at the end of the summer. Typically, you will find leaves in different shades of red and maroon. As they grow, the Wild Strawberry Plant forms patches on the ground. This makes them ideal as a ground cover, although a large patch can take a few years to develop. Once planted in the ground, you can expect elegant blooms for years.

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Maxmilian sunflower - TN Nursery

Maximilian Sunflower

Maximilian Sunflower is a tall, native perennial with bright yellow, daisy-like flowers and narrow leaves. It often forms impressive colonies and attracts pollinators in late summer and fall. Sunflowers are remarkable and versatile plants that offer a range of benefits when used in landscaping. Their vibrant color and adaptability can add aesthetic value and functional advantages to various outdoor spaces. The Maximilian Sunflower is a radiant North American perennial known for its impressive stature and vibrant yellow hue. With a propensity to form dense colonies, these stunningly dynamic plants provide rich visual appeal to any landscape or garden. Their sublime and livening presence innately offers rich enchantment for the gaze of onlookers. Maximilian Sunflower perennial grows to a height of 3-10 feet with slender stalks and narrow leaves with bright yellow flowers that are excellent for attracting pollinators. These perennials bloom after most other perennials stop blooming later in summer into early fall. The Latin name for this vibrant plant is helianthus maximiliani. Maximillian Sunflower Has Vibrant Yellow Blooms  The blooms are brilliant yellow and have many petals alongside a disk-shaped cone. These plants are native to the United States in many regions, and they are so hardy that they can grow even near roadways, prairies, and open fields. Maximilian Sunflowers are sustainability-friendly and promote birds, bees, and monarchs as open pollinators. They are also super low maintenance and seldom need fertilizers or water in areas with adequate rainfall. It's a super hardy wildflower perennial with rough edges, displaying its durability and simplicity of appearance as well. It can tolerate drought conditions and open sunlight. Birds and insects feast on the seeds inside the plant's conehead, making it an excellent source of a good supply without messy bird feeders or buying bird seeds. It is highly sustainable, hardy, and thrives in various soil types, making it one of the best, most vibrant, and hardiest complete sun plants. TN Nursery offers blooming age, bare root perennials at a fraction of the cost of potted plants. Why buy a container and a handful of soil and pay three prices when you can buy the plant bareroot and have the same thing shipped to your door at a fraction of the cost? Maximilian Sunflower Gets Very Tall These gorgeous natural creations intrinsically reach toward the sky. Standing erect, they often get a looming height of around 10 feet. The towering beauties possess uniquely slender stems decorated with long lance-shaped leaves. Underneath the flower head, dark green phyllaries stick straight out before subtly curling at the tips. The bright golden petals delightfully evoke luminescent rays of sunshine. A jagged alternation pattern creates intricate layers of pleasing asymmetry. Their wispiness embodies an illustrative quality that summons a beatific repose. This flower’s center is packed with circular bronze florets. These discs often showcase a fractalized pattern that is simply mesmerizing. Meanwhile, the circumference is embedded with sleek light-yellow florets that create a glorious juxtaposition. Their relatively late blooming period is pleasant in summer and early fall. Thus, they can become the cornerstone of any idyllic scenery. Unlike many other growths from the same genus, these sunflower stems can support several clusters. As a result, these durable plants make for a divine ornamental selection with downright transformative effects on the landscape. Wildlife also likes this flower. Its abundance of nectar is considered irresistible to local pollinators, so it is often associated with a thriving ecosystem of bees and butterflies. Later in their flowering stage, the seeds occasionally attract a diverse ornithological scene, much to the delight of birdwatchers. Maximilian Sunflower derives its namesake from Prince of Wied-Neuwied. The famed German explorer first came upon these magnificent flowers during his North American expeditions, and they were dubbed Helianthus in his honor. It is a suitable title, especially since any outdoor environment is lucky to be bestowed with these golden gems. They are a native perennial coveted for their height, versatility, and blazing yellow hues. It's easy to grow even if you have little gardening experience. The following post concerns this gorgeous bloomer and how it can add life to your outdoor spaces. What Does It Look Like?  People often hear "sunflower" and think of a bloom with a black central disc surrounded by blazing yellow petals. And while they share some characteristics with common sunflowers, there are some distinctions. For instance, their central disc is smaller than a typical sunflower and does not contain blackened florets.  Instead, the hub of the Maximilian Sunflower is populated by clusters of tiny, yellow florets that provide sustenance for pollinators. So, their entire bloom is varying shades of yellow. One thing they share with its more common sunflower relative is height. They can grow to a height of 10 feet!  The flower is supported by a long, narrow stem covered in coarse hairs. Alternate, blade-shaped leaves adorn the towering stem, growing as high as just under the flower bloom. The proximity of the green leaves to the actual flower provides a stunning juxtaposition of natural color evocative of the sun setting over verdant hills. Their conehead is filled with intricate patterns of bronze to bright yellow florets. The mesmerizing structure of these tiny florets belies the mostly uniform layers of petals that envelope them. The florets produce seeds that are a food source for various bird species.  It is also unique among its genus because one stem can support a cluster of flowers instead of just one. Naturally, they grow dense and can colonize very quickly if allowed to. This makes them a good option for filling a large area with golden hues. However, if you have limited space to work with, the multi-flower growths of the slender stems still allow for a radiant burst of color in tight spaces.  Blooms of them are typically 5 inches in diameter, with a central disc spreading out to about one inch in diameter.  What Are the Benefits of Them?  They can add a gilded, regal quality to your outdoor spaces, but that's not all they bring. Take a look at the following reasons why people love to grow these plants:  They Support the Local Nectar Bee Population - Bees flock to them because they produce nectar. Moreover, it produces nectar at a time of year when other perennials become barren. So, they are an excellent choice to keep bees returning to your garden late into the season. As if the inherent chroma of the flower weren't enough, it also attracts colorful, nectar butterflies.  Late Blooming- Many add them to their gardens because they bloom into late fall. This unique blooming span makes this flower ideal for maintaining color throughout the year.  Very Tolerant—While it prefers dry to moist soils, it can tolerate many conditions. It's not uncommon for this plant to thrive in loamy or limestone-rich soil. Great for Bird Lovers- The fertile florets of the flower produce seeds late into the season, which attract a wide variety of birds. The flower is a no-brainer if you are an avid bird-watcher or enjoy providing a haven for avian wildlife.  If you need to become more familiar with this perennial, you may have questions about how to grow and maintain them. So, let's address some common questions about this rewarding flower.  Do They Come Back Every Year?  Another way it distinguishes itself from other sunflowers is that it's a perennial—many sunflowers are annuals. It is supported by a hardy rhizome that will produce new growth yearly.  How Tall Do Maximilian Sunflowers Get? They are known for their stature, reaching up to 10 feet. Its blooms stretch more or less upright toward the sky, giving them a stately appeal that contrasts nicely with flowers and plants that grow closer to the ground.  How Do You Plant them?  It needs between 6 and 8 hours of sun per day. Sow the seeds directly into the soil at about half an inch depth. Seeds should be planted in spring. Be sure to leave between 18 and 24 inches between each plant to allow the root system to grow correctly and avoid crowding. Do You Need to Deadhead Them?  Deadheading will keep blooms coming back and keep the plant looking clean. It would help if you deadheaded dying flowers as they appear. Deadheading will also stymie seed production to avoid spreading to other parts of your garden.  Should You Support the Stem of the Maximilian Sunflower They can grow to be very tall. Their stems are naturally skinny, so you may need to support them with stakes. If you see the plant start to bend or sag, or if you live in an area that experiences high winds, helping the stems with stakes may be necessary. Overly rich soil may also promote hardy blooms with weak stems. If you notice that yours are arching before they bloom, you may need to amend the soil to make it less fertile.  TN Nursery is your source for many native species, from lush ferns to pollinating perennials. We ship nursery-nourished plants that can go straight into your soil right to your door. There is no hassle, and with our one-year guarantee, there is no risk. Place an order for your favorite plants today!

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