Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: missycat on September 25, 2010, 12:33

Title: Plants for Sensory Garden for Children (3-5yrs)?
Post by: missycat on September 25, 2010, 12:33

I am helping to set up a sensory garden for children aged 3-5yrs and want to ensure that plants give good value for money and are safe for the children to handle (not poisonous, no  irritant sap/hairs).
We already grow edible plants but would like some scented,  touchy-feely or visually interesting plants for the boundary fences and close to paths.
Can anyone suggest possible candidates?
Thanks

Title: Re: Plants for Sensory Garden for Children (3-5yrs)?
Post by: Yorkie on September 25, 2010, 12:54

Herbs are the obvious ones but you've already got those.  Buddleia perhaps?

Found these two different resources on t'interweb

http://www.videojug.com/film/an-introduction-to-sensory-gardens

http://www.sensorytrust.org.uk/information/factsheets/sensory_ip.html

Title: Re: Plants for Sensory Garden for Children (3-5yrs)?
Post by: Aunt Sally on September 25, 2010, 14:08

Lambs ear plants are fury

(http://dutchmasternurseriesltd.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/stachys_lanata-lambs_ear.jpg)


Honesty seed pods rattle when ripe

(http://visboo.com/img/03082010/43150.jpg)

Title: Re: Plants for Sensory Garden for Children (3-5yrs)?
Post by: Goosegirl on September 25, 2010, 15:03

Stipa tenuissima is lovely, flows with the breeze and touchable like newly-washed hair - seeds around a bit but ..., also Pasque flower (Pulsatilla) - lovely seed heads, Lad's Love (Artemisia abrotanum a.k.a. Southernwood) - crush the leaves and it's a lovely scent, scented rockery-type dianthus, Juncus ensifolius a.k.a. "Flying hedgehogs" - a small rush-like plant from Johnson's seeds, sunflowers (how high???), clematis - again with lovely seed heads, Alchemilla mollis - lovely when the raindrops settle on the leaves but seeds around a bit, purply-leaves heucheras - when the sun shines through their leaves it shows up their colour like jewels and they send out sprays of flowers in summer and again in autumn, Rosa primula - the Incence rose - smells of incense after rain, cotoneaster horizontalis - looks great especially after it has frost on it, Sedum spectabile - great for butterflies, garlic chives - edible and hoverflies love the white flowers... I couild go on!!! Check suitability for small kids first as I don't know that side of it.

Title: Re: Plants for Sensory Garden for Children (3-5yrs)?
Post by: missycat on September 25, 2010, 23:05

Thank you for the replies, I'll work through all your suggestions to check suitability and availability.
We can't start planting yet as the hard landscaping isn't  complete and we can't have access to the area until the builders vacate but I can start on a proposed planting scheme.
I'll try to post pictures at a later date.

Title: Re: Plants for Sensory Garden for Children (3-5yrs)?
Post by: Bizzi Lizzi on September 25, 2010, 23:19

Lavender!  Perfect in every way. :D

Title: Re: Plants for Sensory Garden for Children (3-5yrs)?
Post by: Bizzi Lizzi on September 25, 2010, 23:22

How about some camomile. ::)

Title: Re: Plants for Sensory Garden for Children (3-5yrs)?
Post by: viettaclark on September 26, 2010, 00:22

Curry plant! Stinks of curry, has silver foliage and yellow flowers. Grows quickly and easy to keep. Looks v. pretty next to lavender......

Title: Re: Plants for Sensory Garden for Children (3-5yrs)?
Post by: Aunt Sally on September 26, 2010, 09:55

How about Chocolate cosmos, the flowers smell of chocolate.

Title: Re: Plants for Sensory Garden for Children (3-5yrs)?
Post by: blackisgreen on September 27, 2010, 09:44

lemon balm, lavenders,rosemary,chives,fenneland of course lemon verbena

Title: Re: Plants for Sensory Garden for Children (3-5yrs)?
Post by: Bizzi Lizzi on September 27, 2010, 16:50

Different varieties of mint.  You can really get some smashers.

Title: Re: Plants for Sensory Garden for Children (3-5yrs)?
Post by: chrissie B on October 01, 2010, 07:39

there are loads of different smelling basil , ive had a fewin my garden just for the smell nice little flower and loads of seeds to collect for next time
chrissie b