Sensory Garden Glendalough

Valley View

Situated in the Wicklow Mountains National Park at Glendalough the sensory garden is located close to the Information point at the upper lake.

Background

Sight, sound, smell and touch are all integral to the design of a sensory garden. The concept, design, plant selection and subsequent development of the garden was a team effort by the staff in Wicklow Mountains National Park. It was felt it complimented all the work being carried out by the education centre in encouraging people to bring wildlife to their own gardens. It's also a natural extension on the effort the staff of the park have put in, with regard to improving access along the upper lake particularly for young families, wheelchair users and the visually impaired.

Forest Scene

Enlarge image

Some of the key features include an insect area, bird feeders, a pond, and most unusually a Xylophone, which is made up of different types of wood from the area. Each piece of wood makes a different sound.

There's also a barefoot trail consisting of walkways of different textures from the rough to the smooth including wood chipping, pea gravel, sand and grass.

Plants

A range of different plants were selected to touch, smell and feel. These include bamboo, honeysuckle, herbs e.g. mint, fennel and oregano, and vibrant flowers.