The requirement to design and create Sensory Gardens for those who have dementia or suffer from Alzheimer’s has never been greater. This trend, sadly, will only grow and it is predicted that by 2015 over 1 million people will be diagnosed with this condition.

As the need to maintain quality and dignity for the elderly becomes more important, a secure garden area can play a role in improving the standard of a person’s life.
                                         
Plants play a key point in this with sound, touch, sight and most importantly smell.  Tim Lynch places great emphasis on smell and always recommends herbs that have specific qualities to aid memory loss. The herbs could be used in teas and cooking, but most importantly they provide an aroma to the garden area.

Having designed over 40 sensory gardens, Tim finds hard landscape features are as important as the plants themselves.  Soft reflective lighting can be incorporated into the garden. Memory points are placed around the footpath for residents to touch and feel. This may take the form of wooden sculptures such as Owls, Badgers, Dogs and Cats. Seating areas that are partially enclosed protect the individual from the sun and provide a secure environment to sit in. 

Bird boxes and tables, raised beds for simple gardening and water features with water moving over a textured surface all help to create a secure and calming area to sit in and be a part of.

Tim has also incorporated into his designs low walls with textured tiles built into the surface, to stimulate the senses.

Currently, Tim is working throughout the UK advising clients on sensory gardens either individually, or as part of a broader and larger landscape for all residents to use.

The management of these gardens and long term care is vital for the success of a sensory garden and Garden Estate Management’s experience in design and long term supervision enables you to enjoy the garden in whichever way you choose.