Sensory gardens

Create a mindful escape from the stresses of everyday life with an outdoor space with landscaping and planting to stimulate each of your senses

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The aim of incorporating sensory ideas into your outdoor space is to create a garden that stimulates and interacts with all of our five senses: sight, sound, scent, touch and taste. Engaging with what our senses are experiencing is one of the key principles of mindfulness, helping us to stay calm and present.

Regardless of the size of your space, therapeutic elements of a sensory garden can be included in your design. Combined, they can help to provide a calming haven, which allows us to focus our senses and therefore our minds, promoting a sense of wellbeing and the feeling of being at one with nature and our surroundings.

‘In today’s hectic world, our gardens are more than just aesthetic spaces; they are sanctuaries that ground us, evoking a sense of calmness and tranquillity away from the hustle and bustle of busy modern life,’ says plantswoman Sarah Raven.

‘You can create a sensory garden with any sized space, whether you have a small plot or a sprawling area. The key is to incorporate different textures, abundant colours, and plants that will attract garden birds and other wildlife,’ adds Sarah. ‘Creating a varied planting scheme in your landscaping to engage all the senses is a great place to start, paying attention to sight, sound, touch, smell and taste.’

PLAY WITH WATER OR WIND FOR SOUND

Often a forgotten component, sound is crucial to a sensory garden. There are several ways in which you can introduce subtle auditory stimulation to your space. Mark Lane, BBC Gardeners’ World presenter and gardening expert for Stannah, suggests that ornamental grasses, bamboo and open-structured trees sound amazing when rustling in the wind, while water features produce a variety of sounds.