The sense of SMELL in a sensory garden

It’s not just the smell of cut grass, or of freshly turned damp earth that can enliven the sense of smell in a garden space. Flowers, shrubs and herbs can provide an array of aromas in a sensory garden too. The sense of smell can often act as a memory trigger for people living with dementia.

Plants have aromas that work in different ways; chamomile or roses offer smells that induce calmness whereas jasmine, thyme or orange trees stimulate and excite. The smell of lavender or rosemary can make you feel energised and refreshed.

Even if you have a small outdoor patio space or access only to a window box you can plant herbs such as mint, basil or thyme in a container or pot near a window or on a windowsill that can enhance your sense of smell. Herbs are particularly good to grow as they are multi-sensory- they not only excite the sense of smell they also stimulate the sense of taste.

To get the benefit of the sense of smell it is a good idea to plant close to a path or border so the scent can easily be picked up when passing by.

We’ve been fascinated by the flower Chocolate Cosmos- cosmos astrosanguineus it has a dark red/brown flower that apparently smells of chocolate and vanilla. It’s not one of the edible cosmos varieties though!

It is a plant that is native to Mexico but can be grown in cooler climates. We’re going to give it a try and see if we can add the smell of chocolate and vanilla to our garden in the UK and the Caribbean.