Green Space Volunteers started planting the Sensory Garden beds on a sunny day in May. There are six beds in total as you can see in this first ‘before’ photo. The smaller central pair represent the sense sound; the other beds taste, touch, smell and sight. All have been designed for children and their families who visit the main play area and aviaries in Pittville Park.
The Friends of Pittville website contains more information about the specifics of planting in each bed – accessed via the QR code on the particular planter. Of course, as in all gardens, some plants are happy with their surroundings and thrive, others are satisfied, and others give up and need to be replaced. Plants have different flowering or fruiting times during the year so a number of visits may be necessary to see the full effects of the garden.
Sound in the garden might be from birdsong, bees buzzing, the wind blowing through the stems and leaves, water running etc. There are berries and a pond for visiting birds, homes for insects and plants for nectar.
Planting in the sight bed concentrates on the colour of flowers and foliage. Cooler colours like blues are at the northern end of the planter with whites and black grass towards the centre, flanked by warmer reds and oranges.
Gardens typically feature a range of strong and more subtle smells. Some smells in the smell bed emanate from the flowers and some, such as herbs, are revealed when the leaves are rubbed.
Interesting gardens do not just contain pretty plants, they have structure. This is often provided by sculpture, rocks, trees and a variety of plants with different textures. Many of these can be tactile and be a pleasure to touch, particularly to those with impaired sight; however, plants that are prickly are to be avoided. In the bed there are different hard surfaces and a mixture of plants with different feels to their leaves.
The word ‘garden’ in ancient texts can be translated as ‘paradise’. For many people a garden can be a form of paradise that provides beauty and food for humans and animals. Not all of the tastes – sweet, sour, salty and bitter – are available in the taste bed. The planting consists of fruits and herbs; the latter are important in flavouring our food and the flowers of some of the annuals that are grown are edible.
Author: Chris Archibald