I have a very personal connection with gardening and have seen the healing power of Sensory Gardens first hand. This is what I want to share with you here!
My inspiration and vision is to create Sensory Gardens throughout Australia – in residential and commercial settings – for children and adults alike to enjoy, whether they have additional needs or not.
Gardens and gardening can help adults and children…Be.Present, something I have experienced myself and witnessed firsthand with those closest to me. All this is also backed up by research which highlight the benefits of spending time outdoors, with positive effects for our physical and mental wellbeing.
At the most basic level I want you to:
- Experience the magic of being present in a beautifully designed Sensory Garden
- Have a sense of purpose and connectedness with your Sensory Garden
Gardening has helped me be resilient and more able to cope with what life throws at you.
Let’s start by learning what a sensory garden is.
Our Services
Sensory Gardens
My inspiration and vision is to create Sensory Gardens throughout Australia – in residential and commercial settings – for people of all ages to enjoy. These can either be spaces to relax and soothe the soul, or simply to reconnect with nature. Sensory Gardens – using horticultural therapy or therapeutic gardening – are also popular additions for schools, childcare centres as well as for palliative care, aged care facilities and for people with additional needs like dementia.
Therapeutic Gardens
My personal experience is that gardening and spending time in a well designed garden is an invaluable tool to overcome many obstacles in life. The therapeutic benefits of Therapeutic Gardens – using horticultural therapy or therapeutic gardening – are increasingly valued in a variety of settings including in schools, palliative care, aged care facilities and for people with additional needs like dementia or those on the autism spectrum.
What is a Sensory Garden?
A Sensory Garden – otherwise known as a therapeutic garden – is a holistically designed space that uses carefully selected plants and other elements to create an area that appeals to all the senses. It is designed to be an interactive experience that is more stimulating than a ‘regular’ garden.
Sensory or therapeutic gardens can be installed in any setting, including your home or premises. They are also popular for retirement homes or aged care facilities where they are helpful spaces for people living with dementia. Sensory gardens can also be useful educational tools for child care centres and schools, where they allow children to explore and learn about nature and their senses.
Sensory or therapeutic gardens can be installed in any setting, including your home or premises. They are also popular for retirement homes or aged care facilities where they are helpful spaces for people living with dementia. Sensory gardens can also be useful educational tools for child care centres and schools, where they allow children to explore and learn about nature and their senses.
Designing Your Sensory or Therapeutic Garden
The design of your Sensory Garden is very much influenced by:
- Who will be using the garden as this will determine what elements you can install to suit the needs of your users
- The layout of the space as this will determine what vegetation, plantings and hardscape elements you can include
- The age and ability of the users as this will influence your design and plantings
Get in touch with me on 0416 365 744 to discuss your project with me
Sensory Garden Inspiration: Stimulating all the Senses
For some inspiration here are some ideas for what your Sensory Garden could include:
Colour
The easiest way of including colour in your Sensory Garden is with flowering plants or fruit trees like lemons, but we can also add contrast with hardscaping elements like gravel, stone or timber. Include the right plants and you can attract local wildlife – like butterflies and birds, for a splash of living colour.
Aromas
Smell is one of the most powerful senses we have and with careful plant selection a Sensory Garden can deliver wonderful, complementary aromas. These could range from kitchen-friendly herbs like mint or lavender, jasmine and honeysuckle.
Texture
Adding texture and a tactile element to your outdoor area can be achieved with many elements, including mulching with bark, installing a water feature or using outdoor timber furniture – the possibilities are endless.
Sound
Close your eyes and what do you hear? In a Sensory Garden it could be the rustling of grasses, the sound of bird and insect life or the gurgle of running water. Depending on the space you have to work with we can look to include as many elements to enhance the soundscape of your outdoor area.
Taste
Last but not least adding an element of taste to your Sensory Garden means you can benefit from having fruit, vegetables and herbs on hand to supplement your pantry. Many of these species are also aromatic and when they are fruiting they will also add colour to your life.
Benefits of a Sensory Garden
Even though the exact mechanism is not clear, many studies have found that being in natural environments – including gardens – is associated with greater feelings of revitalisation and overall wellbeing.
The therapeutic benefits of installing a Sensory Garden in your home or premises includes:
- Relaxing environment that decreases tension and anxiety
- Raising mood
- Improving health outcomes
- Enhancing immune function
- Lowering blood pressure
- Increasing Vitamin D levels
In addition – and based on my personal experience with my son – individuals who experience Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dementia, post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) and those on the autism spectrum (ASD).
I have personal experience with this – which brings me to my story which I want to share with you.
My Story
How did I come to be a gardener – and sensory gardener?
It’s a long story but I will start with the birth of my son Joseph who has cerebral palsy, and whose birth was very complicated and traumatic. As a result I was diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, depression and a recurrence of my childhood ADHD, resulting in me being diagnosed with adult ADHD. Thankfully with early intervention – including physio, occupational therapy, speech pathology, pediatricians and medications his very severe (level 4 – 5 CP) cerebral palsy has been reduced to very mild (level 1 CP).
I found that after doing various stints of gardening and garden maintenance in my brother-in-law’s business, that this had definite therapeutic benefits for me. It’s also why I decided to start my own little garden maintenance company – called Cooper & Sons Gardens. This was inspired by Joseph and my shared love for gardening, which has helped us on our own journey of self healing.
I firmly believe gardening – and time spent in gardens – have helped me achieve peace after the trauma of Joseph’s birth. It has also inspired me to further my studies for a Cert III – Parks and Gardens (Horticulture), to complement my Bachelor Business (Finance) and Bachelor Management (Sport & Exercise).
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Call me on 0416 365 744 to discuss your Sensory Garden project