🌸 Spring Is Here!
How to Create Joy and Find Respite in Your Own Garden
Creating a sensory garden is a beautiful way to welcome spring and design a space that engages all five senses—sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing. These gardens offer restorative experiences for everyone, especially people with disabilities, older adults, or anyone seeking peace, connection, or a joyful moment outdoors.
1. Choose Your Space
Size: Sensory gardens can flourish in any space—from a small patio corner to a sprawling back garden. Select your plants based on how much space and sunlight is available.
Accessibility: Ensure paths are wide enough for wheelchairs and mobility aids. Surfaces should be smooth, level, and safe for everyone to enjoy.
2. Plan for All Five Senses
🌼 Sight
- Colourful flowers: Brighten your garden with sunflowers, tulips, marigolds, and lavender.
- Seasonal interest: Choose plants that bloom at different times for year-round beauty.
- Visual texture: Mix in ferns, ornamental grasses, and broad-leafed plants for added depth.
🌿 Smell
- Aromatic plants: Fill the air with the scents of lavender, rosemary, mint, jasmine, honeysuckle, roses, and lemon balm.
- Fragrant placement: Place these near seating areas or pathways for a truly immersive experience.
✋ Touch
- Textured plants: Invite touch with soft lamb’s ear, rubbery sedum, spongy moss, and feathery grasses.
- Tactile features: Add pebble paths, smooth stones, wooden sculptures, or gentle water features for sensory exploration.
🍓 Taste
- Edible plants: Grow strawberries, blueberries, mint, basil, chives, or nasturtiums for fresh, delicious treats.
- Kitchen herbs: Keep parsley, thyme, and oregano in raised beds or pots for easy access and use.
🎵 Sound
- Rustling plants: Bamboo or ornamental grasses create soft, soothing sounds in the breeze.
- Water features: A gentle fountain or birdbath brings calm, ambient noise.
- Wind chimes & wildlife: Hang wind chimes or set up bird feeders to welcome birdsong and natural melodies.
Many of us take great pride in our gardens—no matter the size. At Caremark Bath & North East Somerset, we’re dedicated to supporting you and your loved ones in the comfort of your own home, so that everyone can enjoy their surroundings and feel safe, happy, and independent for as long as possible.
For more practical tips on how to keep your home safe, accessible, and filled with joy, don’t hesitate to give us a call—and be sure to follow us on Facebook for regular updates and inspiration.