A sensory garden offers children of all ages lots of opportunities to explore their environment through their senses. Our sensory garden runs along the fence between the under-twos' garden and the main courtyard, giving all the children easy access to it.
We took advice on suitable plants for the garden from the Scottish Natural Heritage. We selected some plants because of their wonderful smell, such as rosemary, wild garlic, mint, parsley, basil, chives and thyme. Others we chose for their texture, for example, geraniums, which have a soft furry feel, and 'lambs' lugs' (Stachys), which have a silver sheen and velvet texture. We included some grasses for their stiff, unbending blades and pampas for its feathery tops. Other plants that we chose include lavender, coleus, ivy and petunias.
For colour, we planted flowers in tubs on the paths and a rowan tree, which is both decorative and a source of food for the birds in winter. And to cut down on weeding, we put bark round the plants.
Around the garden, we hung a selection of wind chimes, which are readily available in garden centres and DIY stores.
We also added all sorts of pretty garden equipment, including 15cm-high mushrooms with faces on them, and bird tables, which proved popular with the children and were positioned so that they could see them from inside.
The children have free access to the garden and are encouraged to handle the plants gently, though this message has to be reinforced constantly.
More information
Scottish Natural Heritage, www.snh.org.uk