Sensory Garden: what's that then?

I would like to take a minute to explore the sensory garden as a concept, as the more I think about it the more it concerns me. How do you create a sensory garden? It is a question often asked and in turn I would like to ask the following:

Aren’t all gardens sensory?

Garden: 1. an area of land usually planted with grass, trees, flowerbeds, etc, adjoining a house. 2. an area of land used for the cultivation of ornamental plants, herbs, fruit, vegetables, trees, etc. Such an area of land that is open to the public, sometimes part of a park. 3. A fertile and beautiful region.

Sensory: relating to the senses or the power of sensation.

Sense: any of the faculties by which the mind receives information about the external world or the state of the body.

At one time or another we will have all found ourselves in a garden and the only way we could have had any interaction or experience is through our senses. Our senses are stimulated in all manner of ways, through every situation and through every emotion. We live by them and with them, making them the most important interpreter of our every day lives. So being in a garden is a multi sensory experience, even if we don’t always realise it.

It is often assumed that if you are designing a space to be used by people including some with, say, mobility issues or visual impairments that the best solution is to create a “sensory garden”. What you actually want in that situation is an inclusively designed space that thinks about who will be using it, what for and why.

Before writing this article I did some research to see what the general thinking was on sensory gardens. I came across a web site that had stated that their sensory garden was designed specifically to be “Positive about Disabled People”, another described proudly all the features it had included in the design: a ramp, handrails and lots of seating. This to me highlights (screams) that we need to make some changes and the changes are to our attitudes and approaches. We know enough now to practice inclusive design to create engaging space for people, all people, not disabled or elderly. Enough with the labels, enough with the designated areas, enough with the ghettos. Its straightforward: space for people.

However, within those spaces we are not saying you cannot have areas of particular focus. If you have identified various user groups who would benefit from specific design elements, such as well contrasted planting for visually impaired people, that would be great, as long as it is also accessible for everyone else, so regardless of who you are you can enjoy the space along with everyone else.