Accessibility and inclusion are at the heart of design for the disabled. Making the rich experiences of the natural world available to sight impaired, hearing impaired, learning disabled or mobility impaired people is important to us at Greenstone Design.
Key features of our sensory garden designs are:
- Raised planters to bring scent and colour
to eye height for young people and wheelchair users.
- Water as the essential for all life
- Non toxic edible planting
make a sensory garden
safe for all.
- Sensory gardens with opportunities for climbing, swinging and balancing provide the most stimulating environment for special needs as well as non disabled users. Bamboo bridges, tunnels and interactive sound and water features make the space come alive for adults and children.
- Light and shade for those with impaired vision
- Sound to delight
- Wildlife to really bring the sensory garden design to life
- Download our free sensory garden sensory play brochure here
- Download our free sensory planting brochure here
Key features of our interior designs for disabled children and adults are:
- Light, bright, airy spaces
- Calm dimly lit spaces
- Hand rails and grab rails at appropriate heights
- Hydrotherapy pools
- Sensory rooms with interactive sound and light
- Tactile surfaces
- Fully accessible doorways
A well-planned space will delight non disabled users as well as those with disabilities. Specialist design advice should be sought from an experienced sensory garden designer or disabled interior designer. Greenstone Design UK offers both specialties under the same roof.
"When developing a design brief for a residential garden, Special School or wellness garden, it is important that the sensory gardens are a useful space that is an extension of what can be done within the home or facility and offer people places to go outside that are safe and engaging.”
As specialist sensory garden designers, Greenstone Design UK works with a team of professional landscapers, in response to the needs of the housing association, residents, school, hospital or community.
“From a programmatic standpoint, it needs to be a beautiful space that relieves tension and provides the restorative properties of nature. We also want a place that would work well for staff, uplifting them and enhancing their programme.”
Social and therapeutic horticulture is catered for with rehab gardens in hospitals and care homes. Elements of every design include walkways within the garden structure, providing places for gathering and solitude, for working and resting, for visiting and observing, and playing and learning … all designed to support the well-being of garden users.
In a mixed use wellness garden, it is good to incorporate a children’s area with natural play and equipment, sensory garden and place for families to gather. “Through the use of perimeter planting walls and planters, a vine-draped trellis, raised camomile lawn, a butterfly garden, as well as plantings and ornamental fencing it is possible to create a secure area with active and quiet zones,” says specialist schools landscape designer Gayle Souter-Brown.
If space allows, a waterfall garden and pebble stream brings wonder to the garden.“This part of the garden is a safe area to explore, play and rest. Surrounding it by sweeping drifts of ornamental grasses and a small grove of ornamental shrubs would give a sense of enclosure,” says Souter-Brown.
Rainwater harvesting and bio-diverse planting to attract wildlife brings a sustainable sensory garden within reach. To fully engage our senses we need to reconnect with nature.
Gardens for disabled users include overhead shade pergolas, large planters with ornamental trees, and raised beds for vegetables and herbs to keep the interest of wheelchair users and walkers alike. A working garden of raised beds and containers, and an area with planters and outdoor furniture for group activities would complete the space.
Seasonal interest and variety throughout the year are important. “It is good to create multiple sensory-stimulation environments, with plants selected for fragrance, texture, and colour, in a sequence of colour from spring to summer, summer to autumn, autumn to winter, and back to spring."
Comfort - cushions and soft grass wheelchair users can get out of their chairs and lie or sit in comfort on the ground
Shelter - a living willow den on a decking base provides year round shelter
Water - the sound of water is soothing and the water attracts wildlife for a double benefit. Install a small cascade or bubbling flow.
Food - every sensory garden needs to include edible plants
Safety - a protective wall or barrier planting will enclose the space and make it feel safe
Warmth - a fire pit or outdoor fireplace provides atmospheric warmth, as well as somewhere to roast potatoes, a focus for a sing-a-long
For fact sheets on
1. gardening with impaired vision,
2. sensory gardens,
3. vertical gardens,
4. healthy habits for gardening,
5. container gardening,
6. designing a garden,
7. gardening with raised beds,
8. developing a sensory garden for adults with disabilities
and
9. Resources
(please click the appropriate links.)
For further information on designing for children with disabilities, please contact us. We can also supply: environmental education teaching resources for teachers of students with special educational needs and residential adaptive design.
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For dates and details please download our SEN INSET day brochure here, or contact us . On-line Continuing Professional Development resources for using the natural environment as a teaching resource will be available soon.
If you are interested in hosting a workshop on using your sensory garden within lessons, using your school grounds to enhance delivery of the National Curriculum, or developing a sensory garden as part of your sustainable schools development please contact us.
If you would like to come to the Alice Holt Forest, Farnham, Surrey, we would be happy to welcome you to a twilight session or one day Learning Outside the Classroom workshop event.
All abilities and age groups benefit from sensory stimulation. Sensory garden design for schools Seminar topics include sensory garden design - using planting, surfacing, appropriate play structures and interactive features such as water, sound and light, and how best to include them in your programme. Sensory gardens can be designed as environmental study gardens too, to suit even modest budgets and tiny spaces.
All designs are sustainable, easy to maintain and utilise local materials and craftsmen wherever possible.
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