A Sensory Garden is fun for every child - or the child in each of us. It includes plantings that appeal to each of our senses: Sight, Smell, Touch, Taste, and with some extra planning, you can even include Hearing.
Right now is the perfect time to plan out your garden and to start any plantings you want to do from seed. I've included a list with plants for each sense - let me know if you have some favorites I may have missed.
You can plant a mini Sensory Garden using potted plants or you can go all out and plant an entire flowerbed or yard. Typically they are accessible to the disabled as well. One of my sons is in a wheelchair so we have planted everything to be at a height that is easy for him to touch.
Our vegetable garden is raised so that he can help pick the peas and tomatoes.
Involve the kids and talk about what you're planting - they will love getting their hands in the soil.
Here is a basic planting list for each of the five senses - my favorites have an asterisk next to them. Many plants can fit into more than one category.
Pictures of our Sensory Garden can be found here
Sight - This is where to include bright colors and annuals are great for this
Snapdragons*
Anemones
Gerber Daisy
Yarrow
Larkspur
Salvia
Carnations
Tulips
Pinwheels - The metallic ones are very eye catching
Petunias
Smell
Fragrant Roses (Blossom Time*, Tiffany,* Fragrant Cloud)
Lavendar* - also calming, when kids get wound up - have them pick some for you
Mock Orange
Hyacinths*
Phlox*
Mints (best grown in a container, they are invasive)
Dill (crush between fingers)
Chammomile (apple scented)
Curry plant
Chocolate Basil or Cosmos
Touch
Fern
Moss
Succulents
Sedums
Water features
Sensitive Plant - very cool, closes when you touch it
Sensitive Plant - very cool, closes when you touch it
Ornamental grasses (some of these can give you a paper cut, choose carefully)
Pebbles
Taste - be careful to plant these together or clearly mark them as edible to avoid accidents
Grape Tomatoes
Thornless Blackberries/Raspberries
Strawberries
Cilantro
Fennel (black licorice taste)
Dill
Nasturiums
Nasturiums
Violets
Calendula
Sound
Water fountain (simple or elaborate)
Bells
Aspen trees
Chimes
Bamboo
Grasses
Birds - if you plant berries, they will come
Birds - if you plant berries, they will come
