SENSORY GARDEN FOR SEVENOAKS
Sevenoaks is a care home for adults with learning difficulties, run by The Orchard Trust in Coleford, Forest of Dean. In 2016 we were invited to design, build and maintain a sensory garden for the resident to spend more time outdoors and benefit from their interaction with the landscape.
We drew up a design which followed the natural formation of the land suggesting the features of a face, the garden includes plants and features such as two ponds linked by flowing water that both stimulate the senses and benefit wildlife, with plants for smelling in the nose area, plants for stimulating sight in the eyes area etc.
The planting is based on forest garden principals, aiming for multi layers, useful plants (edible or medicinal) and low maintenance, whilst being accessible to wheelchair users.
There are features such as a giant xylophone and wind chimes for sound and playing, a grass area for lying down and plans for a wheelchair accessible raised bed for digging and playing with soil.
Planting plants in soil is said to be good for the soul but Soil itself, being a living organism, is also said to be very therapeutic and has many health benefits so we want to encourage people to get their hands in it and have fun digging around, therefore this bed will be scarcely planted and perhaps left to the imagination of the users.
This garden has been built by many hands, including local crafts people, artists, gardeners, as well as volunteers, staff and service users at Sevenoaks. Everyone has been really enthusiastic about the project and a great help at bringing it together, we have even been getting fantastic help from the local college students.
We continued to maintain the garden and look for funding to complete the finishing touches, such as a display board with a map to tell people about the plants, and a matching gate and a few other items. However last year COVID stopped us in our tracks and the garden has fallen into disarray. We are working with Orchard Trust to acquire new funds to finish the garden and hand the maintenance over to a local voluntary group of people with learning difficulties who enjoy gardening.
WE HAVE ANOTHER CASE STUDY OF COMMUNITY GROWING BELOW: