The top 10 benefits of a sensory garden<\/strong><\/p> Birds, butterflies, and bees are essential elements to sensory gardens<\/a>. A twittering songbird provides a lovely soundtrack to your garden walk, colorful butterflies put on a visual show, and bees cover sight and sound.<\/p> Not only do pollinators add extra pizazz to your outdoor living space, they help keep your plants healthy and your local ecosystem thriving. Some edible plants like cucumbers need pollinators to produce fruit, so if you\u2019re planning a vegetable garden, you\u2019ll want to invite bees to the party, too. On a broader scale, pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food you eat<\/a>. <\/p> How do you attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds? <\/strong>For these flying friends, native plants with tasty nectar<\/a> are key. Consider adding flowering perennials and vines like:<\/p> How do you <\/strong>attract songbirds<\/strong><\/a>? <\/strong>Birds gravitate toward yards that provide food, shelter, and water. <\/p> To fully enjoy your sensory garden, you\u2019ll be experiencing it with your hands, mouth, and lungs. You don\u2019t want to have to worry about scrubbing off a toxic pesticide before nibbling on a homegrown strawberry. <\/p> This is especially important if any vulnerable populations will be enjoying your sensory garden, like elderly people or young children (for whom low levels of pesticides can affect neurological development<\/a>). Plus, broad-spectrum insecticides can be lethal for both unwanted and wanted insects, including the pollinators you worked so hard to invite to your garden. <\/p> Broad-spectrum insecticides aren\u2019t the only option for pest control. Although every garden pest has its own specific treatment, there are a few organic pest control techniques<\/a> that work to get rid of most crawling critters. <\/p> Alternatives to pesticides:<\/strong><\/p> Native plants are the unsung heroes of backyard gardening. They\u2019re literally made to grow in your landscape \u2014 they\u2019ve adapted over hundreds of years to thrive in a specific climate. <\/p> Why would you want to use <\/strong>native plants<\/strong><\/a> in a sensory garden? <\/strong>Not only are native plants easier to maintain, they also produce some of the showiest, most fragrant blooms because their survival relies on their ability to attract pollinators. That means they have a star power ability to delight your sense of sight and smell, and they\u2019re key to making your landscape pollinator-friendly. <\/p> Native plants help the environment because they:<\/strong><\/p> If you\u2019re looking for a way to foster a child\u2019s relationship with nature, a sensory garden is the perfect path. A sensory garden is a stimulating environment that can keep a child engaged, inspire their curiosity, and be both playful and calming. <\/p> Climbing trees and \u201csecret\u201d areas can be safe places to explore and foster a sense of independence in a known environment. A sensory garden is the perfect thing to inspire a sense of creativity, learning, and adventure. <\/p> Not only are sensory gardens beneficial for our children, they also help our seniors. Caring for a garden in general provides physical activity, access to sunlight, and a sense of joyful purpose. <\/p> Sensory gardens in particular can offer a lot of creative fun. Plus, the link between our sense of smell and our memory recall opens the door for pleasant recollection. The aroma of a sprig of rosemary can take you back to a particular meal or a trip to the Mediterranean. <\/p> Seniors with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia<\/strong> can benefit from a space that\u2019s joyful and interesting, but also safe and enclosed. If you\u2019re designing a garden with someone like this in mind, include a winding walkway that loops through the garden to begin and end at the same point. <\/p> Sensory gardens can be a place of refuge for someone with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)<\/strong>. At the Els Center for Excellence<\/a>, their sensory garden \u201chonors individual strengths and preferences, reduces stress and anxiety, and encourages social engagement\u201d by combining sensory stimulation in a calming environment. <\/p> Sensory gardens are an accessible way for people in wheelchairs<\/strong> to experience all the benefits of the outdoors without the inconveniences. Make sure paths are smooth (meaning no pavers) and debris is regularly cleared. <\/p> Anyone with a sensory deficiency<\/strong> like blindness or deafness can certainly benefit from a sensory garden. By amplifying the other senses, the garden allows people to enjoy an environment saturated with multiple types of beauty.<\/p> What could be a better setting for a dinner party than a sensory paradise? If you\u2019re someone who regularly has friends and family over, a sensory garden will take your gatherings to the next level. Having a homegrown dinner, a butterfly show, and a songbird soundtrack in the background will make your party memorable.<\/p> It turns out that a breath of fresh air is even better for us than we might have thought. Being outdoors can improve our mood, performance, and overall cognitive function. A study in 2019<\/a> found that people who listened to nature sounds performed significantly better on cognitive tests than people who listened to an urban setting soundtrack.<\/p> Not only does a sensory garden benefit your health by encouraging you to be outside, it also helps you by encouraging you to live in the present. Intentional periods of mindfulness (like sitting on a bench actively tuning into your senses) have profound effects<\/a> on our ability to learn, recover from injury and sickness, and strengthen creativity and memory. <\/p> An outdoor space that encourages you to spend time in nature benefits your whole body. Enjoying your sensory garden in a sunny spot is a great way to get vitamin D which supports immune health and can help regulate mood. Plus, planting tasty vegetables and fruits boosts your overall vitamin intake.<\/p> When you take care of your garden, you\u2019re taking care of yourself, too. Gardening is a form of light aerobic exercise which helps improve your heart and lung health and prevent high blood pressure and diabetes.<\/p> If that doesn\u2019t convince you, gardening also helps you get a better night of sleep<\/a>. Getting outside in the morning helps regulate your circadian rhythm, and lower cortisol levels means fewer midnight wakeups. <\/p> Whether you have a sprawling landscape or a tiny backyard, a sensory garden can be right for you. Even a balcony<\/a> can be transformed into a sensory paradise with a little creativity. <\/p> If you have a large space, find ways to divide it with pathways, groups of trees, and defined living spaces like patios. This creates a sense of exploration and the opportunity for privacy and immersion.<\/p> If you\u2019re looking for landscaping ideas for a small space<\/a>, focus on ways to go vertical. Trellises, tiered carts, and gutter gardens are all great ways to utilize space efficiently.<\/p> When you\u2019re creating your own sensory garden, start by thinking about how you\u2019ll address each sense. Consider what different plants would thrive in your climate and any hardscaping features you want to incorporate. <\/p> An example for creating your own sensory garden might be:<\/p> If you\u2019re interested in the benefits but not necessarily the work, hire a landscaping team.<\/a> Landscapers will work with you to design and install the sensory landscape of your dreams from hardscaping to flower beds. <\/p> To take your relaxation to the next level, call a Lawn Love pro<\/a> to take care of weekly mowing, edging, and general lawn maintenance. <\/p> ![\"Bee](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/bee-on-daisy-1_800.jpg\")
1. Pollinator-friendly landscaping <\/span><\/h2>
![\"Fresh](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/strawberry-organic-2_800.jpg\")
2. Discourages use of pesticides<\/span><\/h2>
![\"Wild](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/wild-flowers-3_800.jpg\")
3. Encourages use of native plants<\/span><\/h2>
![\"Boy](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/boy-climbs-tree-4_800.jpg\")
4. Helps kids learn about nature<\/span><\/h2>
![\"Seniors](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/seniors-garden-5_800.jpg\")
5. Supports seniors<\/span><\/h2>
![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/woman-wheelchair-looks-at-garden-6_800.jpg\")
6. Healing for people with disabilities <\/span><\/h2>
![\"People](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/people-garden-7_800.jpg\")
7. Perfect place for socializing <\/span><\/h2>
![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/breath-freash-air-8_800.jpg\")
8. Bolsters mental health <\/span><\/h2>
![\"Happy](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/family-sunny-day-9_800.jpg\")
9. Supports physical health<\/span><\/h2>
![\"Balcony](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Balcony_garden_in_Vibble_Gotland_Sweden-10_800.jpg\")
10. Appropriate for all backyards<\/span><\/h2>
How to create your own sensory garden<\/span><\/h2>
Garden with a pro <\/span><\/h2>