Surrounded by vibrant colors, interesting textures, and calming scents, sensory gardens engage all five senses to heal, inspire, and connect

In the past, sensory gardens were primarily thought of as a horticulture therapy tool. Adults with dementia might have a memory triggered by a scent or the taste of a fresh herb. Children with autism spectrum disorder could engage their senses in a garden that wouldn’t overwhelm. But now we are learning that sensory gardens have measurable benefits for everyone.

A study was conducted at a university in New Zealand with 164 faculty and students. Some were assigned to visit a sensory garden of 30 minutes a week for four weeks, and others were assigned to visit an architectural urban plaza for the same amount of time. The results of the study showed significant effects on salivary cortisol levels, perceived well-being, and perceived productivity in the group that visited the garden. These results were published in 2021 in Landscape and Urban Planning.

Sensory gardens offer an immersive experience that grounds you and allows you to feel connected to nature

But you don’t need to redo your garden to reap some of these benefits. You can incorporate elements that you might find in a sensory garden into your backyard. If possible, create a room in your garden by using plant materials as the walls and the sky as the ceiling. This area can be your sanctuary for stress relief and immersion in nature. Then add plants and features that speak to your sense of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

For sight, incorporate plants with interesting shapes, textures, or colors

Plants like red hot poker, rattlesnake master, variegated tractor seat plant, and even weeping yaupon can provide lots of visual interest. Or, plant a color wheel bed using swaths of flowers that bloom in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Install a garden art piece that brings you joy.

Plants and garden accoutrements that provide sound can be soothing

Clumping bamboo can create a garden wall as well as provide sound as the stalks bump into each other and the leaves rustle together in the wind. Bambusa textilis ‘Kanapaha’ is a clumper that is winter hardy in our area. Avoid bamboo varieties that run and be certain you know which bamboo you have before you plant it. Afraid of bamboo? Hang a windchime. A water fountain, even a tabletop one, is a great idea for your garden because it can attract birds. Then you will have the sound of the trickle as well as birdsong. Add a garden path made of gravel or shell to hear the crunch underfoot.

To awaken the nose, plant jasmine, gardenia, tea olive, banana shrub, magnolia, lavender, or citrus

Plumeria is a wonderful container plant for scent if you are ok with moving it indoors for the winter. Many herbs can do double duty in a sensory garden. The leaves of rosemary, thyme, mint, and oregano can be crushed in your fingers for the smell or popped into your mouth to taste. Easy to maintain fruits like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and loquat round out our list for tasting.

Plants with soft, fuzzy leaves are a tactile delight

Sage, lamb’s ear, and dusty miller fit the bill as well as one of my favorite native plants, necklace pod. The delicate texture of fern fronds is pleasant to run through your fingers as you walk along. Consider using sunshine mimosa as a groundcover. The pink fuzzball flowers are interesting to look at and touch. If you bend down and run your hand over the leaves, they will fold up, giving it the alternate common name, sensitive plant. Be sure to get the native Mimosa strigillosa, and not the invasive Mimosa pudica, which also has prickles.

You don’t need a large area to turn your backyard into a sensory garden. Just try incorporating one or two elements from each category to heighten your senses and your cortisol and lower your stress and anxiety.

Article written by Tonya Ashworth, UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Agent

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