Sensory Gardens
As part of many of our nursing home designs is the need for a sensory garden for residents suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s.
These gardens must be both stimulating and relaxing. They must be non- threatening places to walk in and must provide visual interest and memory points for residents to use and feel safe in.
To this end, both hard and soft landscape elements must work in harmony and provide access for wheelchair users at all time. Raised planters made from wood are regularly designed within a scheme, for both wheelchair users and the more mobile residents and are set at different heights, to avoid bending, to garden in.
Carefully located seating areas at distances no greater than 10m apart are designed within a scheme, combined with sensory points between each seat for residents to touch.
The key aspect to these areas is the plants and feature points and their usage. Sight, sound, smell, touch and taste are all key elements to consider. Tim Lynch Associates has designed over 40 such gardens in recent years for private clients and commissions numerous plant nurseries to specifically grow plants and herbs for sensory gardens throughout the UK.
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