Sensory Garden for Strode Park Foundation, Kent, UK

Sensory garden flowing from hydrotherapy building

Sensory garden design for the new hydrotherapy pool and building added to Strode Park House. The Concept Design for this garden is a sensory garden based on water droplets, to carry on the aquatic theme. This is a modern garden including plants and textures to relax and excite the senses. The central circular water feature represents the droplet and the curved seating, resembling ever-decreasing circles get lower the further away they are from the ‘droplet’. The seating is a mixture of render finish for a smooth touch and gabions for a more textural feel, while also being great for wildlife. There are three carefully thought out sections to the garden, with the bubbling water feature gently audible from all three. The first is a complete circle with benches facing each other – a place for social interaction while being immersed and surrounded by the sensory planting; the second is the water feature with cobble stones again for a different feel and texture, whether walking or through reverberations through a wheelchair or walking aid; the third garden has a woodland theme and height and shade throughout the garden comes from a multi-stemmed silver birch and flowering ornamental cherry trees. Grasses will sway with the wind and Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ will cry out to be touched. Scent and colour are important aspects. The circular hub will have bright stimulating colours, while the planting in the woodland will be calm and relaxing. On the wall of the hydropool building a metal framework will hold 9 cm pots so that residents, staff and visitors can get involved with and enjoy the benefits from horticultural therapy. A sensory garden for complete health and wellbeing.

http://www.marklanedesigns.com/project/category/public/

https://www.marklanedesigns.com/project/category/institutional/