Sensory gardens for SEN students 

     - Special needs sensory gardens -

SEN sensory garden

Healthy children need healthy landscapes. Sensory gardens designed for children suffering stress, anxiety or with special educational needs requires the same attention to sustainable design as design for others. Sensory gardens offer a win:win for all.

Accessibility and inclusion are at the heart of design for sensory gardens for disabled and no-disabled. Making the rich experiences of the natural world available to sight impaired, hearing impaired, learning disabled or mobility impaired children is important to us.

To access the curriculum children need to feel safe. To enhance cognitive functioning, improve memory and develop social skills research shows children need to connect with nature.

Sensory gardens for disabled children 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."
Key features of our sustainable 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. 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 offers both specialties under the same roof.
  

"When developing a design brief for a sensory garden or wellness garden, it is important that the gardens are a useful space; that offer an extension of what can be done within the home, school or facility. A well designed sensory garden supports and encourages children and carers with places to go outdoors that are safe and engaging” says sensory designer Gayle Souter-Brown.

As specialist sensory garden designers, Greenstone Design UK works with a team of professional landscapers, in response to the needs of the school, medical and educational itinerant staff, parents, carers and children.

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