Sensory Garden
Table of Contents
Introduction
These spaces can help wildlife and biodiversity, but the primary focus is utilizing the therapeutic nature of gardens, and the use of our senses. Sensory gardens are highly inclusive, creating spaces where people with vision impairment can touch, taste, hear, and smell. Autistic visitors and gardeners can maintain a healthy sensory diet and unwind from the stressors of daily life. For people with mobility issues, it's important to include benches, and raised beds for those who want to safely touch plants or participate in gardening activities. Near loud roads and city centers, thick borders of hedgerows can drastically reduce noise pollution, while water features and chimes can help create a more pleasant soundscape.
Benefits of Sensory Gardens
Suitable For
Resources & Guides
How-To Guides
How to Create a Sensory Garden at School "In this guide, you will learn what a sensory garden is and how to create one."
Many Benefits of Sensory Gardens "Appealing to the senses with flowers, shrubs, herbs and other landscape features." Click the link and scroll down for more resources.
Sensory Gardens: Planning "Sensory gardens are an opportunity to put a focus on sensory experience. This guidance outlines key steps involved in planning a sensory garden."
Suitable Plants
Safety
Be careful when choosing plants for a sensory garden. Wild flowers, herbs, native grasses, and produce (non-toxic fruits and vegetables) are often the best choices.
Avoid anything poisonous, sharp, or prone to causing allergies.
Use local resources to make sure you including natives, instead of introducing invasive plants, or to at least take proper precautions such as planting mint in a container or de-headings non-native plants that will spread via seed. The following suggestions may be perfect in certain regions, but are not a definitive list. Using native plants with historic, cultural, and biological importance can be an important educational tool.
Invasives & Non-Natives
These are listed by region, to discourage people from planting invasive species.
Be aware that some species can be very aggressive, and should be contained appropriately. For example mint can easily take over a garden, displacing other native plants, so it should always be grown in a container, or a part of the garden which is cut off from other spaces, for example a flower bed in the middle of a concrete pathway.
Some of the plants listed in the links bellow aren't actually native, but they have been listed because they are fairly easy to get ahold of, while also lacking poison or sharp thorns.
North America
Considerations
Organizations
North America
Canada
Pollinator Partnership Canada " is a registered charity dedicated to the protection and promotion of pollinators and their ecosystems through conservation, education, and research."
Maps
International
Butterfly Conservation: Wild Spaces: Put Your Wild Space on the Map "Our interactive map shows the number and types of Wild Space near you. When you sign up in the UK, your Wild Space will also appear on the map so you can show everyone that you're taking action and encourage others to get involved too."
Europe
UK
Butterfly Conservation: Wild Spaces: Put Your Wild Space on the Map "Our interactive map shows the number and types of Wild Space near you. When you sign up in the UK, your Wild Space will also appear on the map so you can show everyone that you're taking action and encourage others to get involved too."
Grants & Funding
Europe
UK
National award schemes There are a number of key organisations offering grants and advice to community based projects e.g.
Big Lottery Fund "Groups can apply to us for funding under £20,000, or over £20,001, depending on what they want to do."
Heritage Fund "We fund projects of all sizes that connect people and communities to the UK’s heritage."
Grow Wild UK "Bringing people together to value and enjoy wildflowers and fungi"
North America
Mexico
Community Seed Grants (CSG) "are available once every year for school gardens and community organizations with regional and cultural connection to the NS/S seed collection. They are offered to garden projects working toward collective food security, seed sovereignty, traditional knowledge, education, and other efforts of community wellness. We do not require CSG recipients to save and return seeds, but encourage those who are able to do so, to provide seeds for their community.
Our region of focus is the Southwest, which generally includes: Arizona, New Mexico, southern Utah, southern Colorado, western Oklahoma, western Texas, southern California, southern Nevada, and northwest Mexico. Native communities in arid places outside of this region may also apply.
We strive to support projects in Mexico. Due to mailing restrictions it is best if you have someone in the US who can receive and bring the seeds to Mexico.
USA
Community Seed Grants (CSG) "are available once every year for school gardens and community organizations with regional and cultural connection to the NS/S seed collection. They are offered to garden projects working toward collective food security, seed sovereignty, traditional knowledge, education, and other efforts of community wellness. We do not require CSG recipients to save and return seeds, but encourage those who are able to do so, to provide seeds for their community.
Our region of focus is the Southwest, which generally includes: Arizona, New Mexico, southern Utah, southern Colorado, western Oklahoma, western Texas, southern California, southern Nevada, and northwest Mexico. Native communities in arid places outside of this region may also apply.
We strive to support projects in Mexico. Due to mailing restrictions it is best if you have someone in the US who can receive and bring the seeds to Mexico.