Caption: All in a days work for Ade
Caption: Where paths meet
Caption: A view to the arch from steps
Caption: Looking towards the main building
How do you design a garden that speaks to all five senses?
Designer and grow-your-own champion Ade Sellars (@adesellars) shares how he helped create a sensory garden for a Suffolk spa – and how sound, scent, texture and taste can transform a space into something both calming and blooming.
From plant choices to pathways, compost blends to mindfulness, Ade explains how thoughtful design (with a little help from our peat-free composts) can make a garden not just beautiful – but meaningful.
Gardening is a direct vein into our hearts and minds. It unlocks doors to creativity, expression and self-growth. It gives us skills to harness nature, grow food and help sustain wildlife. To achieve this in your own green space is hugely rewarding, but how do you convert these benfits to a wide audience who are all have different tastes and requirements?
As a gardener designer, earlier this year, I was commissioned to create several designs for Riverhills Spa and Health Club in Ipswich. They were undergoing a multi-million overhaul, and part of their remit was what to do with large sections of their outside space. An open space, a woodland area and a large meadow. Stepping into the realm, I was given the creative freedom to give each of these spaces a unique vision, something that would encourage their guests to go and explore.
Three gardens to be dealt with in three phases. Phase one would be built and opened for May this year, with phase two and three to follow a little later down the line. So, this spring it was full steam ahead for the ‘Spa Garden’.
From the off I knew it had to reflect the ethos of the club, highlight the beauty of its grounds and work with nature. I wanted to provoke a person’s senses of sight, smell, touch, taste and sound. This would be a garden that would have its roots tapped into mindfulness. A place for the visitor where they could reflect, escape from their day to day and be given permission to just be still. I wanted this sensory garden to be given the full blessing of Mother Nature.
When creating a sensory garden, as a designer, it’s vital to keep in mind what the garden is being used for and by whom. Is it a place of solitude or for families to gather? If so, does seating areas need to be created. Are the walking areas and paths safe to walk on for children, the elderly or the unwell. Will your planting schemes have to be mindful of avoiding plants that are thorny, irritant or toxic, especially if dogs are invited into the space. If it’s a garden open to the public, how will you create planting schemes that everyone can enjoy and won’t cause congestion. Maintaining the flow of a garden is a real skill, as you have to fully understand the space. It is an unseen energy that acts as both maestro and master of ceremonies. It welcomes in one and all, ensuring everyone gets to experience the thrill of the show.
Our sense of sight is often the first thing we tap into when experiencing something. And the design of a garden’s colour palette, structure of plants and overall space is key. For example, low growing plants will encourage someone to crouch down to take a closer look. If you have tall thin plants, these will not only sway in the wind adding interest, but allow the person to peak through the planting gaps to see beyond. For tall, rambling plants, we’re looking skyward, taking in the plant and sky, giving us an entirely new viewpoint.
The heady fragrance of a blooming rose or the release of lavender oils as your hand passes over its foliage can catapult your sense of smell. It can take you to a recent experience of giving cut flowers given to a loved one, or unlock childhood memories of playing hide and seek in the garden. How often when you smell a freshly cut lawn does this conjure up thoughts and experiences of days gone by? Whether you incorporate sweet smelling blooms or aromatic herbs into the garden, all will add another layer to your garden design.
Touching something, really allows the brain to assess the subject. Is it hot, cold, smooth or rough? To touch, can immediately satisfy curiosity. So, when designing, consider what building materials will be used and how they will be used. Are your planting schemes light and featherily, allowing them to pass through a person’s fingers? Or, by using something substantial, such as trees, it allows keen hands to caress the bark grooves or even hug its trunk.
As a veg grower, taste is something I constantly do in the garden. Whether it’s the first pea pod of the season, or a ripened strawberry found hidden under its foliage, taste can quickly alter a person’s mood. I wouldn’t be a grower if I wasn’t constantly finding something to nibble on in the veg garden. So lavender, thyme and sage all found their place in the final design. Which incidentally, is a reflection of the spa club, as herbs are often used when dealing with various spa treatments.
I sometimes feel sound can be overlooked when it comes to garden design, but they are missing a huge trick. From the soft trickle of a water feature to the enchanting birdsong, the buzzing of bees, to a gentle breeze tickling growing plants, sound can do so much to calm us. Sound unlocks the mind, transporting us on carefree journeys and adventures. If we can hear something but not see it, curiosity rises to the front, keen to satisfy our questions on ‘where is it coming from?’ or ‘what’s making that sound?’
The other factor important to me when designing a garden, is the use of local business. Not only to support and showcase, but to help, however small, keep the carbon footprint low. For example, the commissioned water feature was created by a company within twenty miles of the club.
With so many beds to create, and an opening date of May, once the flowers went in I had to ensure they had the best possible start and cope with heavy freshly dug soil. Again, as someone who advocates ‘peat free’, the ideal choice for this is a combination of Dalefoot’s Lakeland Gold and Wool Compost Double Strength. All plants chosen came in pots from 2ltrs to 10ltrs, so this compost combination would keep them fed and enriched for many months, whilst retaining the moisture and suppressing weeds. Also, the head gardener would be grateful as not to work constantly to maintain such a large garden.
Sensory gardens can bring incredible joy to a visitor, but they can also hold enormous benefits for illness, rehabilitation and end of life care. Charities and organisations, such asThrive, Horatio’s Gardens andGreenfingers charities, have been investing in this garden therapy for many years, showing the benefits of what nature can bring to both the patient and their loved ones.
A few months on, and the spa garden at Riverhill’s is thriving. Wildlife is buzzing, guests are exploring and everything is bedding in. Although this garden may not win Chelsea Flower Show ‘Gold’. It is a space where a team of people have worked tirelessly on one vision to create a place of beauty, peace and curiosity. In the words of American poet Walt Whitman, ‘Be curious, not judgemental’. And if you haven’t heard of him, try Ted Lasso, who also preaches from the same hymn sheet… Right, onto phase two!
To watch a short video of the Riverhill’s build, go to:
https://www.adesellars.com/garden-design
BIOG
I’m Ade Sellars the ‘Good Life Gardener’, and I’m am award-winning garden writer, gardener designer, and filmmaker, with a passion for growing my own food in my kitchen garden. I’m also a garden presenter on the QVC Channel and I regularly deliver talks around the country. This August, I shall be hosting the ‘In Conversation With’ Stage at Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair at Audley End House.
Website: www.adesellars.com
Instagram: adesellars
YouTube: @TheGoodLifeGardener
LinkedIn:adesellars