Our New Sensory Garden

Our new Sensory Garden has been created by our handyman/gardener Paul. Some of our residents have sight impairments and he wanted to create something that meant that they could enjoy the garden by using different plant textures and fragrance. The waist-high flower bed was built so that residents in wheelchairs could reach the different plants themselves. Paul planted herbs such as rosemary, thyme and lavender, alongside different heather and flowering bulbs and covered the soil with different size and colours of quartz pebbles. He also included a small water feature lined with bright white stones – which makes it much easier to see for those with poor vision.

Our resident Claire was the first to experience the garden and she crushed some of the leaves between her fingers so she could smell which plant she’d touched. “I recognise this one” she said when she found the rosemary “The smell reminds me of sitting in the garden in the summer.” Claire could also see the bright white of the pebbles and the sharp pinks and purples of the heather.

Berenice Groves, Chair of the Trustees said “I am so impressed with the initiative Paul has shown developing the new garden – it’s a super idea and will be a great benefit to many of our residents.”

Kate, Claire’s daughter added “A big thankyou to Paul for his sensory garden. I know how much thought and time he put into it with mum in mind. We often take mum around the garden and talk about the plants with her so it will definitely bring some joy especially as the seasons change. It was very observant and caring of Paul to have noticed us in the garden and then to have acted on it was incredibly thoughtful.”