The garden, designed to engage the senses of touch, smell, sound, sight and taste, is located at Veterans Central, within the Grade II listed West Raynham Station Headquarters (SHQ).
Each bed is planted to appeal to one or more senses, featuring plants ranging from geraniums and roses to a variety of herbs.
Wind chimes and other features enhance the sensory experience.
Station Headquarters as seen from the Hunter Gate Guard (Image: Supplied) One bed employs the Three Sisters companion planting scheme — a technique used by Native Americans as early as the 1300s — combining corn, beans and squash to promote soil fertility and offer a balanced diet from a single plot.
Transformed entirely by manual labour from what was once “a jungle of thistles, brambles, nettles and other weeds”, the garden also incorporates sustainability.
Half of each planter acts as a ‘bug hotel’, filled with rubble, twigs and fir cones to attract insect life.
Beds are raised to allow access without bending or kneeling, making the space inclusive to a wider range of users.
Each of the large Raised beds relates to one or more of the senses. The bottom half of each one is a bug hotel! (Image: Supplied) The sensory garden joins several other spaces at Veterans Central, including the Memorial Garden, Herb Garden, Shrubbery, Wild Garden and ‘Dig for Victory Therapy Garden’.
Most materials used are recycled, and the gardens are acknowledged for their contribution to mental wellbeing — both for those who visit and those who help maintain them.
The charity welcomes volunteers to support garden upkeep and development. Anyone interested can email ops@veteranscentral.co.uk.
The SHQ is open to visitors every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10am to 3pm, with guests encouraged to enjoy the gardens and explore the historic building.
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