A Garden For the Five Senses

One glorious evening not too long ago, as we sat down to eat an al fresco dinner on the patio, I asked my 93 year-old father if he was able to get outside for a walk that day. A smile lit his face and his eyes sparkled as he recounted his outdoor excursion and all he had experienced while outside in the golden sunshine.

As we chatted, I realized he had experienced our garden with all five of his fading senses! He had heard the water splashing in the tsukubai, the wind in the Pines and the songs of a myriad birds. He had seen Japanese Maple leaves of all shapes backlit by the morning sunshine. He had smelled the fragrance of rain-washed Pine needles and moist dirt. He had felt the cool breeze on his skin as he walked the stone path around our home. And, best of all (he says!), he picked “about 20 blueberries” from our several bushes, savoring the summer sweetness.

It’s true! We have a Five Senses Garden! And what a delight it has been to share it with my elderly father and see him take such an interest in the sensory garden thriving around him!

Joyfully shared by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife (& Five Senses Garden dweller)