How to Create a Sensory Garden

Picture an oasis specially tailored to your senses. A place filled with sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures that engage you so fully that the outside world melts away. A place of perfect peace.

Now imagine that this place is right outside your door.

Good news! This is possible, and you may be able to do all the planning and work yourself.

A sensory garden is just what it sounds like: A place that engages all five senses and allows you to immerse yourself in the natural world. It can be as large or as small as you want, and you don’t have to be a landscape professional to pull it together. Here are the elements you’ll need.

Sight

In addition to choosing colors you love, look for plants that bloom during different seasons, so you always have eye-catching elements to enjoy. Creeping, climbing, or trailing plants contrast nicely with upright blooms, and non-plant elements like sundials, lawn sculptures, or lights can add a personal touch.

Smell

The sweet fragrance of roses, gardenias, and honeysuckle will transport you from your worldly cares, and these smells contrast beautifully with herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, and mint. The more variety here, the better!

Sound

Plants like rattlesnake master, false indigo, and bamboo rustle when the wind blows through them, adding a natural aural element to your sanctuary. Other options include bird feeders (to attract songbirds), fountains, and windchimes.

Touch

Unlike in botanical gardens, touching is allowed and encouraged here! Look for plants with an array of textures, from the velvety finish of rose petals to the fuzzy leaves of Lamb’s ear or the waxy, smooth exterior of succulents.

Taste

One of the benefits of a garden is the ability to pick fresh rosemary, basil, or chives to spice up your cooking, or mint to create a soothing tea. For the freshest fruit available, grow strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or even small fruit trees like lemon, apple, or peach. You’ll never want to buy store produce again!

The beauty of the sensory garden, though, is that you can personalize it just for your tastes. Experiment with different elements, and talk to local nursery staff to get advice and ideas. Then sit back and enjoy your escape into the world of Mother Nature.