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.