The Making of a Sensory Garden

Plants to use (Visual, Smell, Touch) One schools approach to a sensory garden is to include native Australian plant used by Indigenous people as bush tucker. These plants are often have fragrant foliage and flowers and are safe Davison’s Plum – narrow rainforest tree for sun or shady spot – Very sour black purple fruit Midyim – small shrub for sun or part shade spot – small grey fruit Beach Cherry – small shrub for sun or shady spot – small red fruit Native ginger – leafy lily-like plant for a shady spot – small blue berries with edible flesh around seeds Hairpin Banksia – shrub for sunny spot – bottlebrush flowers soaked in water to drink Finger Lime – prickly shrub for shade or part sun – citrus fruit, very tangy Little Kurrajong – shrub or small tree for shade or sunny spot – pod split to reveal edible seeds Forest Grape – twinning vine for sunny or shade – small black fruit that is edible but may dry your mouth out Pig Face – ground covering for sunny spot – red fleshy fruit tastes like salty kiwi fruit Sandpaper fig – Tree for sunny or shady spot – purplish hairy fruit – sand papery leaves used to smooth timber Grevillea – shrubs from a sunny spot. Nectar from flowers is very sweet – tap flower on hand and lick nectar Creek Mat Rush – grass like plant for sunny or shady – base of leaf and flower edible – leaves used for weaving. Native Raspberry – prickly suckerling plant for shady or part sunny – Red juicy berries Macadamia nut tree – big tree for sunny or shady spot – yummy nut kernel inside very hard shell Winter apple – ground cover for part shady or sunny spot – small white fruit Blue tongue – shrub for shady or sunny spot – purplish-red fruits that stain your mouth blue Native mulberry – small tree for sunny or shady spot – tiny white fruit Bush cherry/lillipilli – big tree for sunny or shady spot – pink oblong crisp sour fruit Small-leaved lillipilli – tree for sunny or shady spot - red oblong sour fruit Blue Lillipilli - tree for sunny or shady spot – blue-purple crisp fruit Lemon Aspen – tree for sunny spot – very sour white fruit Millaa Millaa Vine – big climbing vine for shady spot – red oblong fruit

Mosaic Walls (Visual & Touch) A blank wall, this being the back of a port rack, is the perfect location to create a textured visually appealing art piece. Image Park Ridge State School Oct 2013 These mosaic pieces were made at a teacher personal development day. Each teacher made a plate which when broken down and set into these collections, produce visually pleasing, textured art piece. “Mosaic group tasks are used to help staff consider expectations put upon children and thinking about visual information” (Narbethong Special School, 2013).. Image Narbethong State Special School2013

Use of shadows (visual) Creating areas of shade and light can assist a student depending on their personal thresholds of sensitivity. Consideration can also be afforded to shadows used as patterning on the ground and walls.

Windmills and Spinners (Visual) The spinners in the left hand were purchased for one dollar and not only add colour to an area but also movement. Being portable, students can change the location of the spinners to accommodate the need for that day. All images from photo bank found on Google images. Sept 2013 and Park Ridge State School Oct 2013.

Ground coverings (Touch, sound) Grass Packed Sand Pebbles loose or concreted Stone All images from photo bank found on Google images. Sept 2013 Bark Chips When deciding on a ground covering the needs of the student as well as practicality for the location needs to be considered. There is an array of different textures and colours that can be used in different areas.

Narbethong Special School was kind enough to show me around their wonderful facility and the artwork they have included into their sensory garden and hallways. The pieces are aimed at stimulating the primarily Visually Impaired students. The use of colour and texture would also be appealing to a number of students on the spectrum. The following slides are directly from this school as a point of inspiration of what can be done. Narbethong Special School