Designing a Garden for people with Disabilities
Question:
I am designing a garden for use by people with disablilities - do you have any information sheets on plants/flowers to improve sensory stimulation eg smell, touch, hearing etc.
Answer:
I have come up with some ideas for a garden to improve sensory stimulation:
Colour:
• Get lots of colour in the garden from flowers, leaves, tree bark, berries, mosses and lichens
• Different coloured hard materials such as stone, brick and gravel
• Most colour can be gained from annuals such as Cosmos, Nigella, Nasturtium, Marigold, Petunia
• For late season plant Dahlias and Rudbeckia
• Forget-me-not provides a carpet of blue in the spring and they easily self-seed around
Texture:
• Different textures from hard materials such as brick, gravel, pebbles and slate
• Natural textures from leaves, fruits, stems, bark and flowers
• Leave some pine cones laying around
• Hairy leaved plants such as Stachys and some grasses have an unusual feeling as do Rodgersia and Astilbe
• Physalis (Chinese Lantern) has bright orange papery fruits in autumn providing great texture
• Ageratum (Floss Flower) has small powder-puff flower heads in blue or pink
• Use planting containers which are different sizes, shapes and textures
Movement for sound:
• Willow trees, grasses, chimes, garden mobiles, bamboo (make sure it is the clumping type)
• Water can produce different sounds depending on how it’s used; consider the trickle of a stream or the bouncing sound of a fountain
• Have a small, still pond in a sunny area to warm up; have it next to a stream or fountain to feel the difference between warm and cold
• A deer-scarer produces a unique sound as well as vibration for deaf people
• Plant some deciduous trees to hear the crunch of the fallen leaves in the autumn
• Encourage birds, butterflies and bees into the garden to provides movement and sound. Take a look at my Aquatics article, Butterflies article and Birds article to find out how to best encourage them including what shrubs and flowers to plant
• Gypsophila (Baby’s Breath) has tall, swaying stems of white flowers to catch the eye
Scent:
• Smell without touching: Mock Orange (Philadelphus), some Roses, Winter Honeysuckle, Curry Plant, cut grass, hay, Nicotiana, Stock, Evening Primrose, Sweet Peas
• Scents released when plant parts are touched or crushed: Herbs, Scented Geranium, Nepeta, Violet, Primrose, some Daffodils
• Familiar smells: pond water, wood shavings, autumn leaves, cut grass
• Skunk Cabbage (Lysichiton) is a bog plant which has an unpleasant smell but it is different!
• In the patio area leave out some flags/stones and plant Camomile which will let off it’s scent when walked upon
Introduce paths that move in different directions and are made of different textures to provide interest. Include places where people can sit and things that people can stand on or climb on such as tree trunks, bridges, platforms, logs.
Similar Articles:
- Berberis Orange King - Question:I bought a nice orange king shrub in early march and it was already in flower and has done really well until the recent hot weather and has now started to shed its flowers I am unsure has I have not got the planting card if this is normal I seem to recall it flowers ...
- How can I train my Jasmine? - The most well known jasmine is Jasminum officinale which has white or cream flowers in the summer and is highly scented. Blog this! Digg this post Recommend on Facebook Buzz it up Share on Linkedin Share with Stumblers Tweet about it Tweet ...
- Small Garden Tree - Question:I would like to plant a small garden tree but am unsure which to choose. I don’t know how much information you need – so here goes! I want to plant it in a border in front of a 5′ tall fence that faces roughly north east. At the moment the rest of the border ...
