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Note: This section is now in the archives and the advice service has finished but feel welcome to look over these previously posted questions and answers.
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Question:
I'd like to create a sensory garden, but don't know where to start. Help!
Answer:
I love sensory gardens - somehow the pleasure of the garden is heightened by the stimulation of all five senses. When designing a sensory garden I usually start with the most obvious sense, which is sight. Go for plants that are visually interesting, not just when in flower, but perhaps in their foliage or bark. Think in terms of blocks of harmonious or contrasting colour when it comes to flowers and go for plants with extended visual interest throughout the seasons (think of Spring Blossom/Autumn Fruit). The next sense to consider, I think, is smell.
Fragrant plants are best placed near seating areas, but also try them in less obvious places where their sudden aroma will take you by surprise.
Rosemary down the side of a driveway - you'll brush past it whenever you get out of your car.
The curry plant (Helicrysum italicum) beside a front gate. It has a wonderfully pungent aroma, especially if placed in full sun.
Thyme along the edges of an old path.
Scented leafed geraniums (Pelargoniums) should be in every sensory garden - especially the lemon-scented varieties. Not only do they smell fantastic, but they also keep mosquitoes away (allegedly!).
Next, think of sound within the garden - it will always add to the ambiance of a garden and can be easily introduced.
Tall grasses that rustle in the breeze - bamboo is great, but be careful of invasive roots! (plant it in a large container)
A water feature will create wonderfully soothing sounds (think gently bubble rather then torrent).
Birdsong is possibly the best sound of all, so plant some native trees and shrubs such as Pittosporum, Corokia and Coprosma for berry and seed sources. For nectar sources use Kakabeak, Pohutakawa, Flax and Kowhai.
The next sense to consider is touch and, obviously, tactile planting should always be within easy reach - at the edge of a border or near a bench. Soft or coarse, textured plants always invite you to touch them.
You'll never pass without stroking the velvet foliage of lambs ears (Stachys byzantina) - kids love it too.
Feathery grasses are great to the touch.
The leaves of giant rhubarb (Gunnera manicata) feel like coarse sandpaper.
Even a spiky customer like cacti or some Euphorbia almost dare you to touch their menacing spines.
Finally, consider taste. Apart from in the veggie and fruit garden, think of edible plants in other areas - there's nothing better than a stroll around a sensory garden eating a berry here and there or finding a clump of strawberries in the middle of a row of marigolds. Consider too other tasty plants.
Nasturtium flowers and leaves have a peppery flavour and can be used in salads.
A container-grown fig tree in a sunny corner - the restricted root growth will encourage fruiting.
A herb garden right outside the kitchen window.
Finally, when creating a sensory garden, try to select plants which excite more than one sense simultaneously - that way you'll double the pleasure!
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