Sensory Gardens

paddylonglegs

Questions for the landscape gardeners out there, is this something that you come across much to design and produce?

OH works in a nursing home and want to develop the outside space into a sensory garden, introducing plants and installation that stimulate and captivate the senses.

Am looking to get pointed in the right direction of research into sensory gardens and the influence they have on the elderly

cheers

slowburner

Probably a rare enough request for commercial landscapers. This is most definitely a situation where a professional garden designer is required before a spade goes into the ground.

Sonnenblumen

paddylonglegs wrote: »

Questions for the landscape gardeners out there, is this something that you come across much to design and produce?

OH works in a nursing home and want to develop the outside space into a sensory garden, introducing plants and installation that stimulate and captivate the senses.

Am looking to get pointed in the right direction of research into sensory gardens and the influence they have on the elderly

cheers

Sensory gardens are a very popular aspect or feature in the garden areas of special schools, hospitals, nursing homes etc. The specification may range from basic (visual, scent & sound) right through to more complicated installations which will appeal to all senses.

Sensory gardens intended for the elderly visitor obviously need to take particular consideration of specific needs of such users and avoid use of any materials and layouts which are likely to present unnecessary risks and for that reason tend to be more modest in scope but nonetheless charming sensory spaces.

I'd be very surprised if you were unable to google a mine of information.

paddylonglegs

slowburner wrote: »

Probably a rare enough request for commercial landscapers. This is most definitely a situation where a professional garden designer is required before a spade goes into the ground.

Is this not something that landscapers take an interest in, or is their a large required knowledge of the system of sensory gardens?

slowburner

Garden design and landscaping are two distinct disciplines. A garden designer's role in the creation of a garden is, in many ways, similar to the role of an architect in the construction of a building.
A landscaper is the equivalent of the builder.
Of course, there are some firms who will become engaged in both disciplines in much the same way as builders sometimes build without the involvement of an architect.
The engagement of a garden designer is more expensive in the short term, just as it is with an architect. But in the long term, the engagement of a garden designer ensures the overseeing of proper construction, preparation and planting.
Usually, a garden designer will work with, or recommend a lansdcaper they know and trust to carry out the work to the highest standard and to an agreed budget.
Landscaping, has become a very vague term to be frank.

Sonnenblumen

slowburner wrote: »

Garden design and landscaping are two distinct disciplines. A garden designer's role in the creation of a garden is, in many ways, similar to the role of an architect in the construction of a building.
A landscaper is the equivalent of the builder.
Of course, there are some firms who will become engaged in both disciplines in much the same way as builders sometimes build without the involvement of an architect.
The engagement of a garden designer is more expensive in the short term, just as it is with an architect. But in the long term, the engagement of a garden designer ensures the overseeing of proper construction, preparation and planting.
Usually, a garden designer will work with, or recommend a lansdcaper they know and trust to carry out the work to the highest standard and to an agreed budget.
Landscaping, has become a very vague term to be frank.

A rather inflated view of the role and value of retaining a garden designer but yet a begrudgingly acknowledgement that there are companies who can and do provide both design and build services.

On the contrary employing a designer separately is not likely to result in any significant long term value! As you stated engaging a designer in the short term is more expensive but there are other potential shortcomings including projects take longer to complete, communication channels less direct and response times to changes or amendments more complicated and slower.

In my experience few garden designers are fulltime, many are teaching or doing something else but few are working full time like many landscaping companies designing and producing gardens. The design inputs you value from a designer, I would expect similar from any competent professional landscaping company with design capabilities. Of course not all landscaping companies offer design services just as much as not all designers would be too familiar with landscaping and construction.

Ultimately the client decides and increasingly clients recognise that the pragmatic and real value benefits in sourcing a complete service package (including design) from a single service provider.

Nonmonotonic

I'll have a stab at answering the question.

Theres one in the Botanical Gardens and another in the delta center, Carlow. Staff in either may be able to assist.
delta center caters for adults with an Intellectual Disability and may help out someone in another service.

Ophiopogon

Yeah I would agree with Nom there is a really nice sensory garden in the Botanic Gardens. Also it may be no harm to look into hort therapy.

The only thing I do know about Nursing Home Patients apart from hard landscaping specification, is that dementia patients do not like the cold or wind so they would require shelter in sun spots etc.

So make sure whoever is going to do the job understands exactly the type of patients and their requirements.

slowburner

Thanks to you both, for putting the thread back on topic.:)

slowburner

Two other considerations when planting with the elderly in mind; some plants' pollen can have negative effects on asthmatics (Lavender might be one). And I have heard that people taking certain heart medication should avoid some plants - not sure which ones.

Dr Galen

Can we please stop the sniping and one-up manship that succeeded in dragging this thread off topic. I've had to delete nearly half a dozen posts from the thread because of it.

Any more of it, in any thread on this forum is going to be dealt with in a strict manner. I keep seeing the same names in relation to this, I'm not taking too kindly to that tbh.

Cheers

DrG

slowburner

I would like to state clearly that many landscaping firms, including Sonnenblumen's, could very definitely provide any client with an excellent garden - from design to completion.
If the opposite impression was given - I apologise.

Nonmonotonic

I wouldn't spend too much time worrying about it. .......And thanks to Dr. Gallen for the edits.