School Sensory garden - Rainbow flowerbed
1) Rainbow flowerbed.
Not content with doing the wildlife garden, running the PTA, I'm now looking after the sensory garden at school. Who has time for work ???
We have a circular area in the middle of the garden that has a lovely dwarf tree in the middle. It is split into 7 separate sections, which made me think as it is the sensory garden, whether we change it round, so each section relates to colours in the rainbow.
What do you think about this ? We have plants in there already, that I'm thinking as and when they appear, I'll be asking all you lovely people to ID them so I can move them into the correct section of the rainbow.
As it is a mix of perennials, I'm wondering whether it will be obvious enough. Don't want to spend money on a load of plants.
Maybe I could scatter annuals in the colours to fill in any gaps and make it bolder?
2) Also the area behind with the stepping stones last year was planted with wildflowers, which grew really well, but all flowered in the summer holiday when no one saw them?? We are thinking maybe we could dig it over and plant vegetables for Nursery and Reception classes to look after. Would there be any problems clearing the wildflower area. Seems a shame but I'm thinking it would have been better in the wildlife area. can I do anything to transfer plants or would they have all been annuals?
We also have a herb bed, which is great, needs some TLC, and then two flowerbeds which have some perennials in, but looked straggly last year,
any ideas what to do in here ?
sorry a bit of a long one...
Any help, advice, hand holding gratefully received. Thank you.
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might I suggest you try to simplify it a bit.
You don't have the biggest plot and I feel it might look a bit " bitty" and confusing if you try to achieve all you hope for.
I'm not sure the message will come across.
honestly, I mean this in a positive way.
In the clear space, i would sow hardy annuals, the kids can help, it should be fairly cheap, or once you figure out what you want, post on here, i'll bet netween us we will have the seeds you need
The veggies sound fab, runner beans, sunflowers, courgettes, all the salads, really easy to do and a great experience, im happy to donate some beans i saved from last year
What a lovely space
. I think sowing colour coded annuals in your "wheel" would work - and its the most spectacular form of gardening as far as children are concerned - all those lovely plants and flowers from such tiny beginnings. You could start them off in seed trays so that the steps in the process are even more obvious for youngsters. They will also feel like they have created it that way, rather than have an adult present them with the finished article.
cornflowers or nigella are easy for blue, california poppies (eschlozia ??) will give you orange - I'm sure others can suggest foolproof annuals for other colours. Good luck
As it is a sensory garden you will want to think about scent, touch and sound as well as taste. I think if it were me I would forget about too much classification. Herbs give you scent, feel and taste as well as pretty flowers. The most important thing is to teach children that ony some plants are safe to taste. You could have special labels to mark those; they could also mark edible flowers like pansies and nasturtiums.Things like grasses (Pennisetum, Lagurus bunny tails, hordeum etc) and lambs ears (Stachys byzantina) are good for touch. You could have things with smooth leaves or wrinkly ones or even (not too aggessively!) prickly ones too. Courgettes are prickly! Bamboo for sound, or straw flowers (Helichrysum) which feel different and rustle very softly if you ruffle them gently and listen hard.
By mixing things up a bit cottage garden style you are not telling the kids 'This smells' or This is good to feel', instead they are finding these things out for themselves. Just avoid things likely to cause bad reactions (like rue or euphorbias for instance) and teach the rules first : Don't taste if you don't KNOW it's safe and Always wash your hands after touching things in the garden.
Thank you so much for your comments, some great ideas.
Love the idea of digging up what is there and putting in pots and then getting the children to sow the seeds. They will have a gardening day so that could be one of their jobs for the day.
I love the idea of using the different senses, I'm trying to get the grass (carex variety) to go along the path, and each seedling I find is increasing that area. Will look at what we can put in the herbaceous area to increase that senses.
Time to start researching those annuals to get the different colours. Love the idea of getting the children to create labels too.
Bekkie if you were able to send over some seeds that would be great. I will PM you. Those Gourds look like lots of fun !
Maybe you could accentuate the rainbow colour wheel by letting the children paint some terracota pots in the different colours and put them in the sections to help the rainbow effect before the flowers come out. Or maybe they could create some other colour theme sculptures to put in the sections. Home made wind chimes? Painted pebbles? Mosaics?
No problem with the seeds, just pm me, im off t' post office tomorrow anyhow
I love this idea! and i think the kids will love it too! as Daryl2 said have the kids paint pots and stones which will add colour to the beds while they wait for flowers to bloom.
Here are some suggestions for colour:
Red: Strawberries, Snap Dragons (day and Night)
Orange:Coneflowers, Coreopsis,
Yellow: Sunflowers, Daffodils, wild primroses
green: Hosta's are great you can get solid leaves but also verigated ones, Ferns, also quite a few alpins
Blue:Cornflowers, Forget-Me-Not,
purple: Foxgloves, Asters, geranium (Purple cranesbill)
Quite alot of the above flowers attract bee's and butterflies and also some species of birds too which will add a fab element to your sensory garden as it will add sound of bees buzzing, and birds singing, also identifying dofferent species of bugs and birds will keep them busy too.
Like you i am also doing a sensory garden (but mine is for my dog), I am aiming to have different things she can smell, taste, hear and feel. one thing that i am doing is adding mirrors onto walls and fences, which will have climbers such as honeysuckle growing around them, this adds another perspective and also can help make the garden appear bigger as well as reflect light into other spaces. I will also have different terrain types from grass, bark, stones, gravel etc.
I will happily donate any spare seeds and bulbs i get/have to you.