Suggestions for a sensory garden? .......& for hedging/shading too?

[Katymac]

Nursery stuff again

I am planning a sensory garden - any ideas of plants I will need?

Also I will need to plant some native hedgerow but will also need some cheaper hedging for defining areas etc

Any ideas?

Thanks
KMc

[Nbg]

Do you know my first thought was an aloe vera plant.

Nice and thick, has the spikes and very smooth.

Also things like Lavender and Jasmine for scents.

[Katymac]

Great site - thanks

Will Aloe grow outside (we have loads inside) - but I thought it was too cold

[Nbg]

My dad has a few outside, all in seperate pots and they are fine.

[Peachy]

lavendar and chamomile are good planted together, and also have a calmng effect so can double as a quiet retreat zone very effectively.

lavender also comes in a rnage of sizes and can be used as lo hedging.

mexican orange blossom is another good scented one, that's easy to raise. If you sueeze the leaves the smel is amazing.

Agree about the grasses- beautiful red ones and contrasting green ones too. I would also ahve a bed of mints away from the caling one to revice- a great sensory contrast. And some beautiful downy leafed annual border pants for the kids to handle.

[DaisysGotSausageFeet]

herbs are good, especially rosemary, thyme and lavender as they are quite fragrant for smell.

Chives for taste.....

Maybe some grasses for sound...

Something like teasel for sight/touch

I also read in a herb book that lavender can make quite good low hedging for defining areas if kept trim.

native hedgerow...holly, elder and hawthorn are good ones...we get it growing naturally in our garden underneath the bird seed feeders.

sounds like fun!

[Katymac]

I could have a small cholomine lawn couldn't I & a knot garden

OK back to reality

[Katymac]

I'm about 6 miles from the east Norfolk Coast

[Peachy]

You could Katy... or you go for a bed or a few pots to start LOL

[Nbg]

Oh yes Lavender can make an excellent hedge.
My nanna has one dividing her and her neighbours front garden and in the summer it smells absolutely amazing.

[Katymac]

Well we have a ploughed field atm (possibly full of sugar beet )

Realistically the hedgerow comes first
Then a very large Walnut Tree (as it's my logo)
Followed by hegdes (for defining areas) & shading - as a priority

So the allotments/sensory garden come last - but might be the most fun planning

[Peachy]

rosemary is another nice one then

and if you can, think about a sycamore- kids love the seed pods. And a water feature of some kind 9ther are those fountains now where you get the trickling noises but no actual reservoir of water above the buries reservoir that kids can get into difficulties with)

and a sundial (I ahvea bizarre thing about them LOL)

[Katymac]

Love water

Are Sycamores seeds safe?

Hmm Sundial - well I will think about it

I think you can get one on the ground where the child is the indicator (wrong word I know)

[Beauregard]

Curry plant
lavender
Herbs

[Peachy]

tis safe

that interactivesundial sounds fab if you could get one

[Katymac]

I am sure we could make one - you have to do it on the longest day I think and mark the hours

We could lay slabs at the appropriate time positions

[Peachy]

I think that would be lovely then, and a real feature too- The Sundial Sensory garden is a fab name too LOL


Once you have a mature tree you can hang baskets of herbs as wella s rotate them so the garden smells different each day


(can you tell that I was once planning to train as a garden designer? LOL)

[Katymac]

Oh wow what a wonderful idea (herbs)

I think I will be picking your brains a lot these next few months

I need metres & metres of hedging (hopefully as high as possible) otherwise I need to fence as well - I have found a website - but I am guessing the prices are way out of my league

here

[Peachy]

Practicality Brown??? He's not inf;uenced by capability brown then eh?

Did you know there's a huge fencing shortage atm? An 8 - 10 week wait on fence panels according to the news this morning. So in relaity fencing NOT a cheap option at the moment, if it were me (being a Somerset girl) I would find willow fencing- and get someone in to do a willow sculpting session with the kids- but uit might be worth going for simple vergreen hedging and then screening with plants when and where you can. Evergreens can be attractive anyway- i've always wanted a reading garden hedged in by evergreens and planted with lavender, rosemary and a big wooden seat. The way the sun comes through that sort of pointy hedging creates a stunning dappled effect which would add to the whole balance

[Peachy]

this is what I mean by willow fencing

there's a sculpture garden in the village here as well where they get each child to paint a ceramic tile then mount it in the area- that might be a nice welcome for new kids / way of remembering old ones and decorative too?

[Katymac]

I like willow - but unless you can find a way of planting them big/tall I will need fencing as well

I would rather not pay twice - so I am considering buying mature hedging - can willow do that?

I will be having willow structures in the play area

[Peachy]

i answered the wuestion before you asked it lol!