It ’s that time of year when garden clubs , Master Gardener group and community organizations holdgarden duty tour . walk through garden make by talented amateur is a great way to learn unexampled things and get ideas for your own garden . One object lesson that discover home with me this past calendar week is the importance of gardening with all five senses .
Gardens are , of course , largely optical experiences . The shapes of plants , the colour of flush , the true or curving lines of beds and borders , the fashion trees , shrubs , perennials and groundcovers calculate when they are stacked near each other . But we experience gardens with all five of our senses .
This hit me very powerfully while walk through a garden on theNorthfield Garden Tour , where the home owner had used pine needles as a mulch and course material in a deeply shaded garden . The needles had a softer give than Mrs. Henry Wood chips or hardscaping would have . The touch modality of pes on pine tree was gentle , like walk on a deep natural carpeting . Plants that are soft , laborious , fluffy , pointy or acute , all summate to the carnal experience of the garden .
Chimes bring gentle sound to the garden.
Scent is said to be the most evocative of the senses . ( If you need to call up a tropic vacation , just sniffle the suntan program you used . ) In the garden , there are many chance to preface odor . This summertime , I visited Sweden during June . Themock orangeness treesgrow very with child in the damp Swedish mood and the perfume of mock orange fill the air along the street where I was staying . It was enchant , and you could see passersby slow down to drink in the adorable smell . Lilies , old - fashioned roses and many heirloom perennial have delicious odor ; plant them and love .
Another garden I visited had gong in one niche . When you walked through the garden , breezes would stir the gong , adding a musical note to your time there . My favorite garden philharmonic , however , comes from the birdsong of birds , the croak of frogs and the rustle of outgrowth against each other . If you add water feature and found a few native plants with seed , you are almost assured of get bird in your garden . savour watching them and listening to their calls .
Taste is another way to have your garden . Even if you are not a veggie gardener , consider planting a low flowerpot of herb . Parsley , basil and cive are three herbs that raise readily and are well used in cookery . ( If you get enough basil , please try the incredible Basil Gelato we recommend last hebdomad . That ’s a sweet garden in a bowl . ) One garden on theHennepin County Master Gardener ’s Learning Tourdid a great job of compound edible plants in cosmetic beds . So much grain and color — and you may pick that gelt for a tasty side dish .
A carpet of pine needles give this garden a soft, serene feel.
Do you think about all your senses when gardening ?
— Mary Lahr Schier
Kale adds beautiful texture and you can harvest some for dinner.
