Sensory Gardens for dementia, residential and respite care homes' therapy gardens

Sensory gardens offer diversity

Sensory gardens in the 1980s were "gardens for the blind" with some smelly lavender and spiky sea holly, if you were lucky. In ancient Egypt, the birthplace of gardens as we know them, sensory gardens are documented from 5,000 years ago. Like ancient sensory gardens, modern sensory gardens now offer so much more. Sensory gardens today offer gentle re-balancing for the over stimulated or sensory impaired. 

Greenstone Design UK are recognised internationally for our design of sensory gardens for adults and children in need of nature connection and /or additional sensory stimulus. We were commissioned to design sensory gardens for Europe's first disabled children's resort, at Centre Algarve, in Portugal. In the UK we have designed numerous schools' and care home sensory gardens, from Carlisle to Southampton.

One of the appeals of modern sensory gardens is their cost effectiveness. As providers and health commissioners struggle to balance the books, sensory gardens have been proven to provide real value for money against costs of care. A recent NHS study shows savings of 5 GBP for every 1 GBP invested in "green" health interventions. Sensory gardens offer a haven for the elderly, infirm, stroke rehab patients, individuals with dementia. Children with developmental delays respond well to sensory gardens also.

"There is evidence to suggest that as mental capacity changes in people with dementia, some patients will function more on a sensory level rather than an intellectual level. In a sensory garden patients have the opportunity to hear and experience sounds and smells of the garden through plants, water features, birds and the activities of people using or working in the garden space. Patients who are chair bound could be transferred by wheelchair to experience the garden, and patients who are nursed in bed where open windows can give access to the sights and smells of the garden can also enjoy it." -Social Care Institute


Our sensory gardens are:

• Accessible, safe, inclusive spaces
• Abundantly planted. Raised beds complement in-ground planting to bring scent and colour to eye level for mobility scooters and wheelchair users. Low maintenance planting is possible without looking municipal!
• Sustainable. Water features are essential as a nature connection point - all life depends on it so we must use it wisely
• Edible. Sensory gardens need to be non-toxic at worst, but at best, edible- the action of eating is the only action that uses our 5 main senses at once.
• Textured. Pathways, planting, seating and walls can all offer a textural experience
• Varied. Light and shade are important for way-finding for those with impaired vision, but also for comfort
• Attractive to wildlife. Birds, bees, butterflies, hedge hogs, and squirrels bring the sensory garden design to life. 

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As specialist sensory garden designers, Greenstone Design UK works with multi disciplinary teams of  care givers, medical professionals, architects, developers and families, to develop sensory gardens that respond to the needs of the residents, school, hospital or community.

As environmental design consultants we promote Environmentally Sustainable Design, allowing business owners to meet or exceed their environmental requirements. Cost effective rainwater harvesting, rain gardens and bio-diverse planting to attract wildlife brings a sustainable sensory garden within reach of care homes everywhere.  

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