Sensory gardens aim to incorporate plants and landscape features that can be enjoyed with all five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste! While welcoming to all, these gardens are often designed with children in mind. Sensory gardens can help us become more thoughtful as we take the time to reflect on how we experience different elements in our outdoor spaces.
SIGHT
Sight is perhaps the most obvious consideration when designing a garden space. To create a visual feast, choose plants with a variety of different colors, shapes, sizes, textures, and patterns. Bold perennials like echinacea and globe alliums will pop in the landscape and be enjoyed year after year. Bright colored annuals like asters and celosia are also great choices and grow well in containers if you are working with limited space.
SOUND
Have you taken the time to listen to the sound of the wind as it moves through grass and rustles the leaves on a tree? Japanese Forest Grass is is an excellent choice when it comes to adding movement and sound in your garden. It is also one of the few shade tolerant grasses.
SMELL
From fragrant flowers like gardenia and honeysuckle to the wonderful aroma of herbs, there are many ways to incorporate a sense of smell in your garden. We recommend growing plants like Archer’s Gold Thyme, a wonderful groundcover that smells like lemon when you step on it.
TOUCH
When it comes to touch, grow plants with different textures. At Farmington Gardens we can’t resist touching the feathery soft Silver Mound Wormwood, a fun perennial that is also deer resistant.
TASTE
Vegetables, fruit trees, berries and herbs — edible elements are a great addition to any landscape and garden. One of our kid-friendly favorites is Chocolate Mint! In general, mint is a great choice for young and new gardeners who want to grow something tasty! There are many varieties to choose from and they grow well in containers. Mint is easy to care for and can even thrive inside your home on a sunny windowsill.
