How about a Sensory Garden!?

One great site enhancement project that you can choose is a Sensory Garden. Not only does this project go along with the theme of building sustainable playspaces, but it can also act as a great Service Learning tool for the youth in your community. Below I have included a short list of plants that would be a great starting point for your very own Sensory Garden. I also encourage you to reach out to your local resources, and find which "sensory" plants would be best in your area/region. Enjoy...

PLANTS FOR A SENSORY GARDEN

Acacia smallii � Sweet acacia. Has very fragrant yellow puff-ball flowers in the spring. (Note: this tree does have thorns, so it would need to be lifted over head level)

Abutilon palmeri � Indian mallow. This shrub has velvety-soft leaves.

Aloysia triphylla � Lemon verbena. The leaves of this shrub smell and taste like lemons.

Chrysactinia mexicana � Damianita. This small shrub has very aromatic foliage.

Dalea capitata � Sierra Gold. This ground cover has foliage with a delicate lemony scent.

Hyptis emoryi � Desert lavender. A large, narrow shrub with a pungent fragrance.

Larrea tridentata � Creosote. What a heavenly fragrance after summer rains!

Leucophyllum laevigatum � Chihuahuan sage. The flowers of this shrub provide a delicate scent in the late summer and early fall.

Leucophyllum pruinosum � Sierra Bouquet. This shrub blooms in the summer and fall with flowers that smell like grape bubble gum.

Muhlenbergia capillaris � Regal Mist. The narrow leaves of this ornamental grass are slick and waxy. It also has plumes of soft, misty flowers in the fall months.

Osmanthus fragrans � Sweet olive. The tiny flowers on this shrub have an incredibly sweet fragrance!

Salvia leucantha � Mexican bush sage. This shrub blooms in the fall and spring with velvety-soft purple flower spikes.

Salvia clevelandii � Chaparral sage. This large shrub has very aromatic foliage.

Tagetes lemmonii � Mount Lemmon marigold. This shrub has extremely aromatic foliage.

Tagetes lucida � Licorice marigold. The foliage of this shrub smells and tastes like licorice.

Zephryanthes candida � Rain lily. The narrow leaves of this small plant are slick & shiny.