#51: A Sensory Garden

Children's Sensory Garden at UCO, Edmond, OK

The Children's Sensory Garden is used by kids in the child development programs in the Human Environmental Sciences building at UCO. The garden is small, and the plants are close to the ground so that they can be specifically enjoyed by children, although people of any age will enjoy it. The goal of a sensory garden is to stimulate pleasant experiences based on all five senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. A garden such as this is also supposed to be therapeutic for people who have experienced trauma, such as loss, injury, abuse, or illness. I think we would have enjoyed our experience more had it not been incredibly hot, but I did enjoy sitting in the shade on a lichen-covered rock with the cool breeze blowing against my face. And the Rosemary was very fragrant. Definitely a delight for the senses!

Bamboo

conifer

A:

So the sensory garden wasn't as fun as I thought it would be, but it was ok. I used four of my five senses in the garden: smell, sight, touch, and hear. I was able to smell the plants and flowers, hear the wind rushing through the plants, the pebbles crunching underneath my feet, and the water fountain splashing around. I could see all the pretty plants and colors and I could feel the the plants. One of the plants I felt was the Lamb's Ear. That would be something I would put in my sensory garden if I had one. It's so soft and fuzzy!!!!! It might not have been that fun, but it was good enough to enjoy!

mondo grass

Lamb's Ear

C:

I got to see a Lamb's Ear plant. It looks like a plant but feels like a real lamb's ear. I saw some pebbles on the ground. I used some senses. I used hearing, feeling, smelling, and seeing, but I didn't use one of my senses. I didn't use tasting. They should have had spearmint plants so we could taste it, but they didn't. I saw a plant that didn't have the yellow in the middle. It was called a Black-Eyed Susan because it had black in the middle. I looked at red rocks. When you stepped into the pebbles, it sounded good. I was really excited because I really love plants!

Lamb's Ear

Black-Eyed Susan