Gardening is well-known to have therapeutic effects. The sounds of nature calm the soul and clear the mind, allowing subconscious mulling over of problems, which can lead to the discovery of solutions. Small achievements give great satisfaction and the associated exercise is physically beneficial. oost of all, everything you do in the garden engages one or more of the five senses. With careful planning and selective embellishment, you can turn your garden into a sensory wonderland!
SIGHT
Perusing beautiful things is very satisfying and few things are more beautiful than a flower. Aim to a have something flowering year-round and plant your favourites close to paths and entrances, where you’re more likely to stop and admire them every day. But as flowers are generally fleeting, interesting foliage combinations that provide visual stimulus all year are equally as important. Play with the juxtaposition of contrasting foliage textures and colours and use plants with distinctly different forms (clipped balls, topiary, columnar, spiky etc) as accents throughout the garden. Inject more visual stimulus with the use of strong focal points and interesting silhouettes against solid walls. See next week’s issue for ideas on textural foliage combinations.
SoUND
Complete peace and tranquillity is what you’d most often expect of a garden. But when you tune in, there’s lots going on to engage your sense of hearing. Listening to the sounds of nature can be intriguing – cicadas chirping, birds singing, leaves rustling in the breeze, and little clicks in the bushes from who knows what? Injecting a little contrived sound can also bring added harmony. Gurgling water in a bubble fountain is very soothing and it’s also a well-known psychological coolant on a hot day. The melodious resonance of a wind chime is another way to add a pleasant touch.
SoELL
Freshly cut grass is a favourite smell of many gardeners and garden-lovers. Some even find compost appealing. I prefer anything that’s lemon-scented: magnolias, lemon verbena, lemon balm and citrus flowers are all very pleasing to my olfactory sense. Locate your favourite fragrant plants where you will enjoy them the most in your garden – beside paths and walkways, near doors and outdoor seating areas. Edge your pathways with lavender, vanilla-scented heliotrope or sweetly scented pinks. Bring fragrance to nose-height by training scented climbers up veranda posts or pergolas and fill tall decorative urns with highly scented shrubs such as daphne and gardenia.
Plant scented foliage plants, such as diosma and lavender, and fragrant herbs like rosemary where they can be brushed against or touched when you pass by, releasing their exquisite scented oils.
TASTE
Being able to pluck a fresh blueberry or pick a mandarin while you’re working in the garden is a real delight. But if you’re to do so, edibles need to be accessible. Incorporate them into ornamental areas of the garden by: growing herbs and fancy-leaf lettuces in garden beds or pots outside the kitchen; planting citrus topiaries as accent plants; using feijoas, blueberries or Chilean guava plants as hedging; and having fruit trees as feature plants or dwarf varieties in large tubs to adorn outdoor relaxation spaces.
ToUCH
Rose thorns aside, there are countless tactile opportunities to discover and enjoy in a garden. Children are especially good at engaging their sense of touch, as are those who are visually impaired.
Favourite tactile experiences for kids include: native Scleranthus; furry lamb’s ears; crackly autumn leaves; crinkly lichen growing on trees; and soft, velvety rose petals, which also smell good!
Fabulous textures are everywhere in the garden and, with a little forethought, you can enhance your enjoyment. For instance, alternate crunchy pebbles with smooth pavers to provide a distinctly different feel (and sound) underfoot; place soft outdoor squabs on a hard bench seat to make sitting in the garden more comfortable; plant fine grasses in containers to tickle your legs as you walk by; place enticing foliage, such as the amazingly smooth, streamlined Agave attenuata, at hand height. If you have one in your garden, please go and stroke it now – it is a truly worthwhile experience!
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