Benefits of a Sensory Garden

The five senses are taste, touch, sight, smell, and hearing. A sensory garden incorporates all the five senses for people to enjoy and utilize for destressing. Many children, elders, and adults enjoy coming to these gardens not only for seeing plants and objects, but for interacting with them as well. There are many kinds of sensory gardens; two popular forms are a sensory pathway and a keyhole garden (“Sensory Gardens” 2018). Sensory gardens, and gardens that contain them, can be public or private spaces.

Studies show that sensory gardens can improve mental health, stimulate senses in children, and help elders with dementia. In the UK, sensory gardens were gaining popularity after being adopted by the horticultural therapy association movement in the early 1970’s (Hussien 344).

Having a multi-sensory environment gives the individual their own dedicated space for controlled stimulation, presented in isolation or combination, packaged for active or passive interaction and temporally matched to fit the perceived motivation (Hussien pg 25). The research findings of Rohde and Kendle (1994), Malone and Tranter (2003) and Maller and Townsend (2005/2006) have proven that providing school grounds with sensory stimulation can encourage mental development, health improvements, emotional growth and social integration, in addition to increasing the learning motivation of the pupil, especially through being in contact with animals and plants (Hussien 346).

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It is recommended children and adults have one hour or more of outside time and physical activity. Children surround themselves with play in their free time, sensory gardens can accompany physical activities like a playhouse, hopscotch area, plastic xylophone wall, a large puzzle, a maze, etc.

Titman identified four elements that children looked for in school grounds: a place for doing (opportunities for physical activities), a place for thinking (opportunities for intellectual stimulation), a place for feeling (to provoke a sense of belonging), and a place for being (allow them to be themselves) (Hussien pg 27). Schools can make their own sensory gardens and adopt them into lesson plans rather than it just being a courtyard or decor garden. Sensory gardens teach children about patience, weather, time, what grows in different seasons, exploring different senses, and to be more in touch with nature. Science and math can be incorporated with making a garden by calculating the area for the plants' growth, how plants reproduce, pH levels of soil etc. Most grades have made it out to study a variety of subjects, “all with natural systems, ecology and the garden as our lens. This autumn provided us with the opportunity to harvest, taste, pull out the dying plants, study decomposition, find out what will grow in the winter, investigate bugs and more.” (Outdoor Classroom and Garden” 2017).

Students can socially thrive with the garden by interacting with the plants together, inducing queries about the world around them and conversing with peers in a comfortable environment. Ms. Rosenstein says, “One of the best parts of the Outdoor Classroom, for me, is that there are so many different grades that spend time in the garden. It connects the 7th grade to the preschoolers and everyone in between,”(“Outdoor Classroom and Garden” 2017). Having an outdoor environment gives the teacher insight to students behaviors as well, how they interact with the plants and other peers is an observatory advantage rather than being in the classroom and sitting in one place. Giving children hands on activities will make them more responsive and connected with the lesson. The stimulation from sensory gardens can help a child’s confidence to try something new, like touching a plant, eating a berry, climbing a tree, cooing at animals, and rustling leaves, can turn into new choices and lessons learned from these experiences. “Sensory stimulation refers to the impact that the environment has on our minds and bodies and how we receive and process that information in our brains by way of our sensory organs,” (Greenstone).

Adults and children with disabilities will enjoy the sensory garden (if not more) because it can emphasize the senses they are strongest in. For example a person who is blind may find the aroma of flowers enjoyable, leaves that have a lovely fuzzy tactile, or even the surrounding sounds that are incorporated with the garden like running water, gravel, wind chimes, or plants rustling. Overstimulation can be possible for those who get overwhelmed by too many senses, but it can be controlled by moving on to a different part of the garden or leaving. For example, a child with multiple disabilities became agitated because it was too sunny. His accompanying teaching assistant did not what to do as the situation got out of control. Another teaching assistant, who happened to pass by, had to carry the child indoors (Hussien pg 27). When designing gardens for individuals with special needs, they should be consulted to ensure their specific needs are met (Woorden and Moore).

Sensory gardens can improve mood by focusing the attention of the perceiver onto just the objects and plants around them, rather than stressing about other things they can preoccupy themselves with the garden’s tools. Spending time in nature is associated with increased emotional regulation, decreased neural activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex (area associated with rumination) and decreased symptoms of depression and anxiety (Lee). Rumination is the occurrence of repetitive negative thoughts, often shown in people with anxiety disorders. Studies show that submerging oneself into urbanization can be a cause of mental illness, participants who went on a 90-min nature walk showed reductions in self-reported rumination and decreases in sgPFC activity, whereas those who went on an urban walk did not show these effects (Bratman). Horticultural therapy is the practice of using plants and gardening to help better oneself mentally and physically.

Horticultural Therapy programs use Sensory Plants and Gardens to help people with sensory impairments and/or to enhance their creativity and self-expression in order to enjoy life more fully (Greenstone). These meetings can help with physical rehabilitation, cognition, emotions, and socializing. The term horticultural therapy wasn’t adopted to the health sciences in America until about the 1980s, but was commonly recognized for all the benefits it has produced since ancient Egyption times (Carol). Since being recognized, horticultural therapists can receive certifications through a majority of schools and programs across the world. Effects of horticultural therapy or just taking a 90 minute walk through nature can possibly increase the human lifespan over time, improve not only your state of mind but your blood pressure, your heart rate and your stress hormone levels (Chillag). Elders with dementia/Alzheimer’s disease can improve their memory with horticultural therapy & sensory gardens.

Focusing on sounds, sights, smells, texture, and taste can induce stimulation to remember what events had happened that day. 'Patients with advanced dementia were seen to have greatly improved short-term memory retention after a horticulture session,' Flagler said. 'Some participants remembered the chirping sound of a cricket in the garden almost two weeks after the event.' (Chillag). Research suggests that people living with dementia are often less able to access outdoor spaces. The advantages of access to appropriately designed outdoor spaces may include increased positive mood, reduced episodes of distress, reduced cognitive decline and a reduced risk of depression (Mitchell G, Blake M 2016). Elders should have freedom outside the house to have a dedicated space to themselves, studies show it lowers stress in those with dementia and influences memory retention. Making a sensory garden is a process that takes planning and patience, but in the end a garden designed to meet specific needs and wants is fulfilling. Sensory gardens come in many shapes and sizes, there is no certain structure that makes a sensory garden, as long as it incorporates the five senses it is one. Keyhole gardens can be raised beds or a small area that the subject can sit down at or touch as they walk, these kinds of beds are perfect for smaller children to squat down at and reach the plants.

Sensory pathways do not have dead ends unlike keyhole gardens, they will usually make a loop around to another path or just continue on in a circle. Pathways can be constructed of smooth, flat, stepping stones or tree cookies with gaps wide enough for in-between planting (“Sensory Gardens” 2018). Gravel is a good idea to put down for those who have sight impairment, the crunching of the rocks can help guide the user along the path. Dirt paths are also efficient, dirt contains bacteria and chemicals that help improve serotonin in the brain (“Dirt exposure ‘Boosts Happiness’” 2007). Mulch for your plants is optional but adds a cleaner look to the garden and can cover exposed roots. Some organic mulch options are; pine straw, woodchips, bark, stones, grass clippings, leaves, hay, seaweed, and corncobs. Another mulch option is growing a living mulch, a plant bedding that will cover the underneath surface area, but this may be hard to maintain as for it can take over plants in the garden.

Look at the possible areas of where any planting may occur, check to see if there is enough sunlight and room to grow. Shade is important for some plants as well, plants can get sunburned just like humans can. Make sure when planting the seeds are not too close together, growth can create new spots of shade so plan carefully to place seeds in sufficient spots. To keep animals from eating seedlings, keep a fenced in garden, drape a net over the seedlings, put out a colorful shiny pinwheel, sprinkle cayenne pepper or spray diluted vinegar water around where the planted seeds are. The compounds in cayenne pepper and vinegar will ward off animals (Seedsheets). Think about what kinds of plants are wanted in the garden after planning a layout, a garden with more auditory sounds? A garden with more aromatics, more taste, more visuals, or more interactive texture is up to the planner(s). Perhaps the planner(s) have allergies, and want to avoid plants that will cause a stuffy nose after a walk through the garden.

Choose plants that are pollinated by birds or insects rather than plants that release their seeds into the air (Department of Health and Human Resources). For taste, berry bushes, mint, and edible flowers are a few choices that can be incorporated in the garden. A few safe edible plants are chicory, fireweed, and wood sorrel. Of course, any type of berry or fruit that is found in the kitchen can be used to grow in your sensory garden. Dividing the sensory garden into different sections is recommended to decipher which section is taste, touch, smell, sight, and auditory. Auditory sounds can contain running water, chirping birds, rustling leaves, wind chimes, gravel, etc. Sight for the garden can contain vibrant colors on flowers and foliage. Decor can simply be putting up a bench, adding art to the garden, water fountains, wind chimes, etc. Decor can be considered with the all the senses. It is up to the planners on what they want to decorate their garden with, the possibilities of making a sensory garden are endless! The climate for a garden is important, some plants may be more sensitive to heat than others or vice-versa.

Annuals, perennials, and biennials should be taken into account when choosing your plants. Annuals lives for one season then they die, perennials regrow every spring, and biennials take two years to flower then die (“Wildflowers in Bloom: Annual, Perennial, Biennial?” n.d.). This may not matter though, annuals can turn into perennials, or vice-versa, depending on the climate the planner may live in. Pay attention to the weather, if the planner’s area is subject to droughts choose plants that are hardy toward dehydration. If it is rainy and humid, tropical plants can be ideal with this type of weather. Porous soil is something to look at, depending on the soil a plant may not grow if the soil is too loose or too hard. Roots need space to grow, and if the soil is too thick or thin to support the plant it may die. Indoor sensory gardens are just greenhouses with a garden inside, this may be ideal for people who live in extremely sunny areas, really rainy areas, or a cold climate that few plants grow in.

Greenhouses create a steady environment for plants to maintain foliage and longevity. This also may be a more enjoyable way to get outside in a sensory garden because the physical elements do not affect the greenhouse on the interior. In conclusion, nature has provided the world with many benefits people can utilize for daily activities. Sensory gardens are a huge therapeutic outlet for those suffering with common and uncommon disabilities, and studies have shown the improvement of others in outside environments. Madeline Hansen quoted “I just have always felt more calm in gardens…. It really has helped me grow as a person and meet new people through horticulture. I hope one day people will spend more time not just at sensory gardens, but other gardens as well…. People should spend more time outside, you eventually realize what you have been missing out on….”

Works Cited

NLI. “Sensory Gardens.” The Green Desk, 2018 Hussein, Hazreena.
“The Influence of Sensory Gardens on the Behaviour of Children with Special Educational Needs.
” ScienceDirect, Elsevier B.V. Selection and/or Peer-Review under Responsibility of Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies(CE-Bs), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia, 7 Dec. 2010 Hussein, Hazreena.
“Using the sensory garden as a tool to enhance the educational development and social interaction of children with special needs.” (2010) 'Outdoor Classroom and Garden'.
“Outdoor Learning Stories.” & CES / CES &, 2017 Worden, Eva C., and Kimberly A. Moore.
“Sensory Gardens.” EDIS New Publications RSS, Environmental Horticulture, 16 June 2016 Lee, Carol S.
“Gardening May Decrease Your Anxiety And Depression.” Anxiety.org, 14 Feb. 2017 Bratman, Gregory N., et al.
“Nature Experience Reduces Rumination and Subgenual Prefrontal Cortex Activation.” PNAS, National Academy of Sciences, 14 July 2015 Mitchell G, Blake M.
“Horticultural Therapy in Dementia Care: a Literature Review.” RCNI, Nursing Standard, 2016
“Health | Dirt Exposure 'Boosts Happiness'.” BBC News, BBC, 1 Apr. 2007 Seedsheets.
“How to (Naturally) Prevent Animals From Eating Your Garden.” Seedsheets, 0AD
“Wildflowers in Bloom: Annual, Perennial, Biennial?” Science Fair: How Much Water Does Mulch Save?, 0AD Hansen, Madeline. Interview. Nov 10 2018