A Swansea community has joined forces to create a garden so special that gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh could probably learn a thing or two from it.
Pupils from local schools, a charity and Swansea Council have all banded together to create a sensory garden from a boggy patch of waste ground in Birchgrove.
And now the ten-month labour of love is complete, people with learning disabilities and complex needs who also helped create the garden, are reaping the rewards.
The scheme was paid for thanks to a Welsh Government grant of £30,000 along with further funds raised by project organisers Special Needs Improvement Projects Swansea (SNIPS).
Jen Waters, assistant manager at the Council-run Birchgrove Special Needs Day Service, where the garden’s located, said: “To see the garden coming together from a total mud-bath to having established plants was a transformation.
“The joy of staff seeing the reaction of service users smelling, touching plants, weeding and walking around was lovely to witness.”
Francis Hubbard, Manager of the Birchgrove Special Needs Day Service, added: “The sensory garden was created for people to provide an environment that connects with all our five senses – touch, hearing, sight, smell and taste.
“People can enjoy natural light, sunshine, warmth, breezes, and natural sounds such as bird song or artificial sounds such created by wind chimes, for example.”
Plants have been planted for their colour, shape, scent and feel and herbs, vegetables and fruit for their taste. A water feature that people can touch provides other sounds and changing reflections.
The work started in September last year on what was an unpromising patch of land at the centre where light was crowded out by a huge conifer hedge, access was poor and the ground was turned into a mud-bath whenever it rained.
The hedges have been disposed of, fencing put in and raised borders have been made and pathways created to give accessibility for wheelchair users.
Mr Hubbard said Birchgrove’s primary and secondary schools provided sensory items for the gardens including decorated wellies and windmills to provide points of interest. Service users from Glandwr Day Service also played their part by helping plant the borders.
He said: “The garden will be an ongoing development and offers of additional plants for their colour , scent , foliage are welcomed. We are looking to purchase new bench seating and a table soon.”
