Sensory Garden

Thanks Maizie. The garden had a Meditteranean theme last night and I did wonder about some of the plants here in a colder UK climate. I'm going to try myrtle here in Devon.

Myrtle isn't reliably hardy, unfortunately. I would love to grow it, but attempts up here in the NE have ended in it being killed by the cold.

However, further south in a sheltered spot it would be lovely.

On Garden Rescue last night they also suggested myrtle for its fragrance, alongside rosemary and lavender.
And wispy grasses.

Also meant to say - can you use arches to link your raised beds together?
I have used 6 ft bamboo canes joined at the top to make a short tunnel between two raised beds and then grown runner beans up them.

In the Winter we have bees buzzing around our winter flowering honeysuckle bush.
We have to prune it quite hard each Spring or it would be a big shrub, but so worth it for the activity in the Winter.
Smells good too!

Oh, and there's a mint that smells just like eau de cologne when just lightly brushed against. I don't think that eau de cologne mint is its proper name now, but you can probably find it still called that.

Can I put in a word for viburnum bodnantense Dawn, too. Not only does it have a lovely honey scent but it flowers continuously from about October to April. Sharp frosts or heavy snow knocks the flowers back a bit but once it warms slightly it's back in full flow. It can grow very big but doesn't mind being hacked back... It's not a very pretty sight when in leaf, though...

How about chinese witch hazel for winter scent, and cornus for the winter colour of the bare stems of new wood. You can get them in various colours.

Thanks so much for all your replies. Lots to go at here!!

That is inspiring Kali2. I'm off to design my new long raised bed. I have 18 metres to fill, looking for whites, purples and blues. Thanks for the thread Scentia.

A few years ago, I visited a Castle garden on the south shore of Lake Geneva, called the Jardin des Cinq Sens'. In the gorgeous medieval village of Yvoire.

A part for smell

one for sight

one for touch

one for noise

one for taste

You can listen to the different ones on their website, it’s quite fun!

Thank you Ro!
I know that windchimes are generally not a good thing, but if you are interested, look at Woodstock Windchimes, they are a different level

I don't go for sound as there are enough birds around but feel is important too.
Yes, I like sound too. Buzzing bees are good. I love to hear treefrogs and lizards, but not in these climes.

Don’t forget to include a winter flowering Virbunum Bosniantense, variety Dawn. Beautiful scent. Also Daphne and Sweet box.
These all grow well in planters as they might be too large for raised beds. They can be kept small by pruning after flowering.

There are many scented Hardy geraniums which you can brush against. I have a lemon scented one and one like eucalyptus which fills the air. Easy to propagate and pass onto others.

Fanny Stachys Byzantina - Lambs ears - can't resist touching them!

Choysia has a wonderful smells as does lilac. I have some very tall lilies in the garden and on warm summer days their scent seems to drift about. I don't go for sound as there are enough birds around but feel is important too. Rosemary and lavender you can rub between your fingers and even the much maligned private has its place.

Those furry, rabbit ear things.
What are they called?

I love many of the plants mentioned above, especially marjoram which the bees love! Chives also produce scented growth and lovely spring colour.
Sewing annuals in pots can add splashes of intense colour when they are in bloom, then provide seed heads of visual interest later eg love in a mist. If you move the pots around you can put ‘today’s ‘ plants in prominent positions and the seed head pots in less prominent positions.
Don’t forget good old fashioned flowering bulbs too. Hyacinths are striking and smell heady when in bloom in the garden.
Happy gardening ?

I have many Phylladelphus shrubs in my garden (all taken as cuttings from one original parent plant). The number of times people ask the source of the beautiful aroma is astonishing. I would recommend them wholeheartedly.

There are some great ideas here: - www.gardenersworld.com/plants/scented-plants-for-every-month/#:~:text=September,sweetly%20scented%20flowers%20for%20months.

and here: -
www.crocus.co.uk/search/_/search.Ready-made-border-Scented-garden/sort.0/

I love plants like honeysuckle, lavender, jasmine and roses but be sure you make it clear you are looking for scented varieties. Herbs as lixy suggested such as marjoram, thyme and rosemary and touchy-feely plants such as Stachys byzantina or lambs ears, poppies for their seed heads and teasel then for noise bamboo and grasses.

To be honest I have never seen a sensory garden which was visually attractive. Perhaps look up pictures to give you ideas.

I tend to go for colour in my garden and interesting leaf colour. and shapes. Everyone likes different things.

Lavender and rosemary work well, and maybe some lemon balm. I like tall agapanthus and salvias mixed in.

I’m sure others will have loads more, but:
Bronze fennel, sage, rosemary, night scented stock, nicotiana.

The internet will give you some great ideas Scentia.
There are lots of scented shrubs and flowers to choose from. I've often looked but up to now never bought as I was once looking for similar ideas.