Reviewing Sensory Garden For A Person With Sight Loss Part Two

 

This is part two reviewing making a sensory garden for a person with sight loss. As I explained in Reviewing Sensory Garden For A Person With Sight Loss Part One  my husband is having to adjust to losing his sight and we are both learning how to handle this development. 

So I have been looking into how to have a garden that will be beautiful, fun and interesting and safe as his sight declines and how I need to change my gardening style. 

There are always five elements when making a garden and these revolve around the five senses.

We covered Smell, Hearing and Touch in part one. 

In part Two we concentrate on Sight, Taste and Safety.

We are very much working together on this project and we aim to retain as much of my husbands independence and gardening skills as possible too.  

In this article we will be using the terms sight impaired, blind, low vision, partially sighted and sight loss as these are the current acceptable terms in my country for people with sight loss. This may change over time and be different in different countries. No offence is intended by any of these terms.

Sense Of Sight -Colour and Light

Now it might seem odd to include sight in a garden for people with sight loss. However my husband and many other people with sight loss, severe sight impaired and partially sighted will have some useful sight. 

It will be a case of finding out what sort of useful vision they have, what if any colour they can see easily and what if any leaf shapes they can visualise. The best way to do this is to work with them, visit other gardens, check what they can see in terms of plants and shrubs.

So with my husband we started by checking which colours he likes and can see easily. This may be different for other people. 

These for him are red, yellow, purple and white so we will concentrate on these colours especially for check points around the garden. For example yellow daffodils, red geum, white snowdrops, red bottlebrush, purple clematis. We may include other colours, but these will be secondary to him. 

For my husband colour contrast is important so we need to work that in for example a red poppy against a white wall is more easily visible. 

In terms of how the plants look we discussed having at least some plants with large leaf forms or bold shapes so that he can use these as anchor plants whether they are in flower or not. 

For example:-

 Tree Peony 

 Bamboo

Small round shaped  conifers. 

Tall columular conifers

Elephant ears

We also discussed light in the garden. We have security lights but also would like softer mood lighting for dusk. 

While we would love real candles, they are not perhaps the safest choice for a person with limited sight.

So we agreed on safe flameless outdoor candles and string lights to use when we are out there at dusk. We will turn these off when we go in so as not to confuse wildlife. 

 Homemory 6”x3” Outdoor Waterproof Flameless CandlesCheck Price

Sense Of Taste

We did not think there would be food to taste all year round, yet it will still be an important element. Many of these plants also have scent.

It is crucial that I do not include anything poisonous, an irritant or just ill tasting. Accidents can happen when you touch poisonous plants and we cannot risk this. 

So in terms of positive tastes we intend growing a lot of herbs and salad crops. As we hope to have an allotment we wont be growing lots of veg or fruit in the garden but smaller edible plants are welcome. 

We have grown vegetables in outdoor containers before and will continue to do this. 

So we will grow:-

Different mint varieties such as chocolate mint and peppermint. These will be in separate pots as they can be invasive and take over a whole bed. 

 sage

rosemary

 curry plant

distinctive salad leaf crops such as rocket. 

baby carrots in tall pots

radish

Strawberries

Fennel

Safety In The Garden

Gardens needs to be safe for every person and there are some specific considerations when you are design for a sight impaired or severe sight impaired person.

We mentioned previously to avoid any plants that can be poisonous just in case they are touched. Also to avoid any that can be irritants such as euphorbia plants 

To avoid very prickly plants such as prickly Holly , pyracantha unless they can be positioned at the back of a border where it is difficult to touch them.

Flat ground is easier for my husband now. As he is new to sight loss he still finds steps a bit of a barrier I need to help him with so we will be aiming for a flat garden if possible. If we do have steps then I think we will need a handrail. Also the steps need to be highlighted in some way with a different colour or texture.

Any ponds should be highlighted in some way depending on the level of sight. So for some a border of a different material around the pond will be enough to know to avoid it, others may feel happier with a grid over the water so falling in is not an option.

For other people a pond in the ground is not desirable but perhaps a raised pond in an old barrel made waterproof would be a good option.

Trip hazards are something we need to avoid as my husband has already had a couple of falls over things he did not see. So the aim is to have raised beds but a little higher than normal so that he can feel them with his hands. A low below the knee height is no good as they will just be another trip hazard, they need to be higher. 

This also achieves that scented plants will be at a better level rather than having to bend down all the time.  If necessary we can also paint them different colours or at least the top section a distinctive colour so that he can see more easily. 

For him the ground needs to be flat as possible. A lawn is fine and we would still like some lawn, but we will probably go for more paved areas in large slabs that have some grip and do not get slippery in wet weather.  

So with a little planning and discussing the needs of the person I do believe it is perfectly possible to make and maintain a beautiful garden. 

When we take into account smell, hearing, touch, taste and safety, which should be cornerstones of making any garden we can make a lovely garden suitable for someone with sight loss and beautiful in every respect. 

 Wrought Iron Handrail, Step Handrails for Outdoor Steps Fit 3 to 4 StepsCheck Price Keter Urban Bloomer 12.7 Gallon Raised Garden Bed with Self Watering Planter Box and Drainage Plug, Dark GreyCheck Price

Reviewing Sensory Garden For A Person With Sight Loss Part One 

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Thunder Dog Book Review

 

8:46 a.m. Michael Hingson, along with his faithful guide dog, Roselle, had been experiencing a normal morning at work. And then, suddenly and violently, their building was rocked by a massive explosion. Everything began to sway and tilt at a severe angle. Debris rained down on them. What was happening? 

No one knew yet that American Airlines Flight 11 had just slammed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 500 miles per hour. With 10,000 gallons of fuel on board, everything was soon engulfed by flames, smoke, shattering glass, and dangerous fuel mist. Michael, blind since infancy, knew something was very wrong, but he took comfort in the fact that Roselle was completely calm. 

Though surrounded by chaos, and screaming, panicked people, Roselle did not act afraid. Michael knew they needed to head to the staircase and make their way out. It would be no simple thing, as they were on the 78th floor of Tower One. Safety was 1,463 steps away. There was only one thing to do: Give Roselle her command. Forward.

It would ultimately take an hour to get to Ground Zero and out the door to what they hoped would be their escape. As they took step after step after step, burn victims passed them in a hurry to get the medical help they needed. Firemen, and other emergency personnel, though rushing up the stairs to help other victims, paused to see if Michael and Roselle needed assistance. 

Shortly after exiting the first twin tower, the second tower, just 100 yards from them, began to collapse. Michael and Roselle ran for their lives, choking desperately for air, as an atom bomb-like cloud of dust surrounded them. The nightmare seemed never-ending. It would be hours before survivors could even begin to make their way to loved ones.

Lives were forever changed on 9/11. Because this day will always be one of our nation's most memorable, and important days, Michael Hingson and Roselle's story, as told in Thunder Dog, is one that needs to be heard. Not only is there healing in telling our stories, but their story is much more than an account of making the descent out of the World Trade Center. 

The real story is the ascent story: How Hingson and Roselle rose to be there in the first place. How does a blind man and a yellow lab end up living successfully in a world that is not always set up to support a thriving life? What are the lessons we can learn from them? Michael shares with us the vital messages of trust, of faith, of the importance of working together. These themes are especially timely as our nation continues to be in crisis.

Thunder Dog helped me gain a greater perspective and understanding of what it means to be disabled. In some ways, we are all disabled. It was incredibly enlightening for me to learn more about how differently abled individuals navigate through the challenges, and opportunities, presented every single day. I was astounded by Michael Hingson's adaptability (especially his use of echolocation) and full of admiration for how his family supported Michael's growth and actualization into his current fullness of being.

And, of course, I so respect those who pour themselves into the nurturing and training of guide dogs. What an amazing journey that is. Roselle, rightfully, has earned numerous awards and accolades for her exceptional service to humanity. Well done, Roselle. Good girl!

I will end with one of Michael's quotes that spoke to me: Don't let your sight get in the way of your vision. May we all take that to heart as we learn to see with the kind of wisdom that makes a true difference for others. We are all in this together.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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