A sensory garden can be anything from a window box to your entire backyard! Creating one is a great project to involve children of all abilities in gardening activities. In the process, you’ll help advance a child’s development and health.

The first step of this project is finding the perfect spot for both you and your children. Then, incorporate elements that touch all five senses.  Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Sight

The visual impact of the garden space is the most important aspect. Use bright, eye-catching colors found in Petunias, Marigolds and much more!

Bring a game into the garden by playing ‘I Spy’. Instruct children to point out various types of flowers or use their sleuthing skills to find pollinators in the garden. 

Sound

Incorporate a pond or moving water feature in your sensory garden. The moving water is not only calming, but could attract hummingbirds to interest children further.

If you’re searching for a louder noise, utilize a wind chime or other garden feature that will move with the wind.

Taste

Picking fresh herbs and veggies from your sensory garden will have kids engaged in a unique way. Snap off leaves from various herbs and let kids try to identify them just from taste.

Touch

There is a myriad of annuals and perennials with different textures that could entice children to touch them. Include these plants in your sensory garden and kids will be entertained for hours:

Lamb’s Ears

Aptly named, this perennial features soft, silvery foliage. The white hairs on the leaves help protect the plant from drought.

Hibiscus

Perfect for adding a pop of color to your garden, hibiscus form large, lightly ridged, silky flowers that children will want to explore.

Bleeding Heart

Who wouldn’t want to reach out and touch the uniquely shaped blooms of a Bleeding Heart?

Smell

There are numerous strong-scented plants that could provide an aromatic experience for children. However, scent preferences can be highly personal. It’s important to engage with children and determine their preferences when incorporating this sense into your sensory garden.

Vines

The most common climber, Wisteria, features long, pendant-like blooms with a beautiful fragrance.

Annuals, Perennials and Bulbs

With show-stopping, vibrant blooms, Phlox has a sweet smell that is most apparent during warm summer days. For another show-stopping perennial, try incorporating Peonies in your sensory garden.

An annual that achieves both fragrance and texture is Heliotrope! Often grow for its strong scent, Heliotrope’s dark green foliage has a soft, pleated texture.

Also, Hyacinth feature star-shaped blooms that range from purple to red, white and yellow. Plant the bulbs in early fall to enjoy their sweet smell during the spring time.

Tropicals

Probably the most famous fragrant flower, Gardenias bear a strong scent with large white blooms.