Sensory Gardens

Creating inspiring outdoor spaces for all

More often than not our brief is to bring the outside in for our customers, always working on meaningful and beautiful ways to enjoy garden life in what is essentially another room of our homes… but over the past few years we have been involved in building several Sensory Gardens in schools around Hampshire, which has actually been all about encouraging children to put those pens & pencils and books down and simply to enjoy the outside.  And it seems we are in Royal company when it comes to our passion for building fun, captivating, exciting, safe outdoor spaces for children to develop and learn in via school sensory gardens. And, we were most pleased when Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales took both the time and the opportunity to shine a light on the importance of this with her wonderful garden at Chelsea a few years ago.   

So, what is a sensory garden, I hear you ask…

Well, a sensory garden is a garden area that is self-contained allowing all those that enter it the opportunity to enjoy all kinds of sensory experiences.  

In a world filled with media and technology, what could be more important than children putting down their tablets, game consoles and phones and taking a moment to quieten their minds and slow down their fast paced lives, and perhaps even step back in time  and go ‘old school’ and just enjoy their outside… 

Sensory gardens really are so much more than just landscaped areas, or well-manicured lawns with immaculate boarders, or even well-considered planting plans and herb gardens they are all about ‘the feeling’ and taking pleasure from your environment.  They focus on the features, the textures, the surfaces, the objects and the plants that are all designed to stimulate our senses not only through sight, but also through touch, taste, smell, hearing and feeling. 

Here at Helyers we are firm believers in the importance of outside learning and the real health and mental wellbeing gardens & out-door spaces offer.  Spending time with your hands in soil, your wellies caked in mud, breathing in fresh air, hearing birds singing, seeing  bees pollinating and playing and learning and of course watching plants grow is truly a feast for all your senses and we have been extremely excited and proud to work with various schools across Hampshire to build such kinds of spaces. 

Why not call us today and let’s talk gardens, ‘cause it’s always better in a Helyers Garden…