Design a Garden for Your Senses

Set the mood of your yard by designing a section that stimulates your senses and achieves inner peace from your sensory garden.  

Stimulate your sense of touch, sight, scent, hearing, and taste by designing a sensory garden that features flowers, ornamental grasses, bamboo, and tasteful as well as aromatic herbs.  

Add a soothing water feature and a cozy outdoor living space where you can sit and relax.  When you design a garden that stimulates your senses you will find harmony.  

Water feature garden

Before you begin your garden you will need to decide on the type of plants that you would like to grow.  You will want to choose a color scheme that is compatible and soothing, as well as flowers, shrubs, and herbs that are fragrant and will attract butterflies and hummingbirds. 

Choose ornamental grasses; fountain, reed, or zebra grasses will give the garden movement as well as lovely plumes and winter interest.  Fragrant flowering shrubs and vines:  ruby spice summersweet, sweet autumn clematis, and Four O’clocks will perfume the air in late summer and early fall.

  

Add a water feature to your sensory garden. The water feature need not be large however one that has water cascading down rocks into a shallow pool will provide you with a sense of sight and hearing.  The trickling water is a natural way to relax your mind and body.  

 

Designing Garden for Senses

Decide on the location of your sensory garden.  Allot space for flower, herb, and grass gardens, as well as a feature water garden, and sitting area.  Your garden should appeal to the eye by inviting you to different focal areas.  

A focal area could be your water feature, a pergola over a comfortable seating area, a colorful coneflower garden or a butterfly garden.  When you have decided upon the location of your garden you would then measure it.  

Measure the space of your garden and then draw out the locations of each garden.  Use colored pencils to indicate the color scheme of the plants.  Section off your sensory gardens; assign specific areas for plants.  You may want to plant bamboo or grasses with height in the back section of your garden as these plants will provide you with a living privacy hedge.  You may want to have a section for wildflowers, a water garden, herbs, or a butterfly garden.  

Garden Path

Pave stone path to the herb garden

Decide if you would want a natural stone garden path to connect all of the gardens to the outdoor living space.  Do a rough drawing to give you an idea of how you want your garden to look.

Excavate the garden area by clearing the area.  The best way to achieve this task is with a tiller, and a wheelbarrow to remove the sod.  Loosen the earth to the depth needed to install the pond and your container plants, shrubs, or trees.  For planting amend the soil with compost or manure, the plants that you grow will stimulate your sense of sight taste, and smell.

Install a water feature.  Set the fountain or pond close to the area where you will put your patio furniture. Add your seating or resting area to your garden.  Set outdoor furniture in the center of the garden also a bench close to the garden path.  This resting area will allow you to stimulate all of your senses.  Lie in a lounger or sit on the bench and read a book. Take a moment to close your eyes, listen to the sounds of the garden, and breathe in the aroma of the herbs and fragrant flowers.  Your daily stress will melt away and your body will be at peace.

Gardening Tips:

Accessorize your garden with wind chimes.  Hang the chimes in various locations in your garden.  When the wind blows the chimes will produce music. The wind music will stimulate your sense of hearing.

Add light to your garden by outlining the path with solar lights or accent feature areas with hanging solar lights.  The lights generate power from the sun and all soft lighting to your garden at night.

Here is a video that will give you an idea of how to design a garden for your senses.

Grow Mint for Home Garden-Information

Peppermint flower

Benefit from your garden mint by growing the herbs for culinary, medicinal, aromatherapy, and as a repellent for mosquitoes and other flying insects.   

Mint can be grown in containers, in the ground or in various sections of your yard.  

I have a dog kennel and find that when I planted the garden mint on the exterior of the kennels that the mint controlled the dog odors and also repelled fleas and ticks. If you have a large yard I would recommend growing the mint in the ground, however, if you have a small yard or live in an apartment then grow mint in a container and set it in a sunny location or grow under a light.

Benefits of Garden Mint

Chocolate Mint in my backyard

1. Peppermint is a natural remedy for indigestion, heartburn, headache, and will help to reduce inflammation caused by acne.  If you plant a mixture of peppermint, spearmint, and apple mint in sections in your yard these fragrant herbs will repel mosquitoes and other flying insects. 
2. Other uses for mint would be to add it ice tea, brew medicinal herbal tea, garnish foods with mint, make mint jelly, or antibacterial soap. Growing garden mint is easy and it will provide you with years of fragrant flowers and leaves.
3. Garden mints have a delicious scent and flavor.   When planning your mint garden choose mint that appeals to your senses.

Here are a few of my favorite garden mints.  Buy seed packets of mint at Walmart.com Ebay.com Parkseed.com or Gurneys.com or Tractor Supply.  Start seeds indoors and then transplant after the danger of frost has passed.  

Corn mint

Peppermint

Spearmint

Apple mint

Pineapple mint

Orange mint
Berries and Cream mint
Lemon mint
Chocolate mint    
Candy mint

Chocolate mint

When to Grow Mint

Start to grow mint seeds indoors 7 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost or you could sow the seeds directly into the garden bed when the spring temperatures warm and the threat of frost has passed.

Where to Grow

Grow indoors by planting seeds in soil that is mixed with compost or manure.  Set the seeds on top of the soil and then press the seeds into the soil with the eraser end of a pencil.  Plant the seed one inch below the soil line.  Water so that the soil is evenly moist but not wet.  Set the mint containers next to a sunny window or under a grow light.  For outdoor cultivation choose a garden site that receives full sun and has well-drained soil. 

I grow spearmint and peppermint on the side of my house. These plants need room to grow as they have a spreading nature.  I spaced my plant two feet apart. The mint grows down a slope and I found that the spreading nature of the mint is a good way to control erosion.

Ready the Garden for Planting Mint Outdoors

Use your tiller or spade to ready the soil for planting.  Remove all of the grass, rocks, and weeds from the planting area.  Work the soil until it is a fine texture.  Amend the soil with compost or manure.  Set the seeds on top of the soil. Space the seeds 18 to 24 inches apart and then press the seeds into the soil with the eraser of a pencil.  Plant the seed one inch below the soil line.  Water so that the soil is evenly moist but not wet.

Care for Mint

• Watch the soil so that it does not dry out.  Garden mint prefers evenly moist soil that is well-drained.  It will die if the soil is overly wet.
• Keep roots cool by adding a pine bark mulch or leaf mulch around the garden mint.
• Mint will bloom in mid to late summer
• Divide and transplant in the spring to prevent overcrowding.
• Watch for rust; patches of orange-red on the back of the leaves.  Remove all rust-infected plants and get rid of them.  Watering mint in the evening will cause rust so don’t do it.

Tips:

Peppermint is a natural way to repel stray cats from your yard.  The scent of peppermint is repulsive to a cat.

Drought Tolerant Verbena Growing Tips

Verbena is a great plant that features long-lived vibrant flowers that are drought tolerant. Grow verbena on a sunny slope, in a rock garden, and in hanging containers; the verbena spills down the sides of the container and it looks very eye appealing.

Verbena is easy to grow provided you give it what it wants; full sun and rich soil that is well drained. 

The first time that I planted verbena was in 2007.  I took a chance at planting seeds.  At the time I did not know about cold storage so my seedlings grew but they were not healthy.  I transplanted the seedlings to my side slope garden. 

The sun was full on the slope for about 6 hours and then there is the partial sun. The first year I thought I had killed the verbena as the flowers were small and did not repeat.  My grown-from-seeds verbena died back in late summer. I added a layer of compost to the garden on the slope in the fall and then a layer of mulch.

The following spring I readied the side slope with compost and  I was delighted when the verbena returned in early summer. 

The lacy greenish-gray foliage of the verbena looks nice spilling down along the rocks and the colorful purple blooms are so vibrant that the side slope garden is a feature in my yard.  Verbena reseeds itself and every year after that my slope garden grew fuller.  Verbena is a lovely flower to grow in your garden as it blooms from spring to frost.  Here are some questions and answers that will help you with growing verbena in your home garden.

 Questions and Answers for Growing Verbena

When should I plant verbena seeds?

Plant verbena seeds indoors eight weeks before the last spring frost.  Unlike other flower seeds, verbena seeds are cold storage to grow.  Plant verbena seeds in a seed starter kit then set the seeds in a cool and dark area; your basement, or the lower rack of your refrigerator. Leave the verbena seed kit in your refrigerator for 10 days.  

Check the seed daily to make sure the soil is evenly moist.  During seed germination, the soil must not dry out.  Remove the verbena from your refrigerator and set the seedlings next to a southern exposure window or under a grow light.  Germination takes 2 to 4 weeks.  Transplant the verbena seedlings outdoors when they are 6 to 8 inches high.  

Outsidepride Verbena Mix flowers

Where should I grow verbena?

Verbena grows best in full sun with well-drained soil and is hardy in growing zone 6 to 9.  Verbena looks good growing on a slope, a window box, or a hanging container.  The natural spreading of 12 to 18 inches is eye appealing with the long blooming flowers.

Here is a photo of red verbena that I planted in a container 

What flowers look good grown with verbena?

I grow verbena flowers in masses and find that lady’s mantle, zinnias, black-eyed Susan, blazing star Liatris, echinacea, red bee balm, coreopsis, cosmos, and salvia are flowers that add colorful blooms to the garden from spring to frost. 
 

How do I get ready for planting verbena outdoors?

Clear your garden site of grass and debris.  Loosen the soil to a depth of ten inches.  Add four inches of compost or manure to the soil and mix thoroughly.  Next, add a time-released fertilizer to the soil, and mix the appropriate amount of fertilizer according to the directions on the package.  Plant the verbena flowers ten inches apart.  Water plants well after planting.

 How do I care for Verbena?

Care for your verbena seedlings by watering the plants in the morning with a drip hose.  Keep the soil evenly moist but not wet until the verbena plants grow into busy plants. These plants are what you would call established and will be able to tolerate dryer soil conditions however, they prefer regular watering.   I provide my verbena plants with deep watering every 2-3 days with a soaker hose and the plants grow very well.  Verbena will die if you water the plant too much, or if the roots are in standing water.

Prior to the peak summer heat, apply four inches of fine mulch such as grass clippings, mulched leaves, or organic wood chips.  If the verbena is growing in a flowerbed, cover the entire bed with mulch.   The mulch will help the young plants to retain moisture and will aid in preventing weeds. 

Tips:

1. Encourage repeat flowers by removing the spent blooms.   
2. Verbena will self-sow; be careful when weeding as you do not want to pull out a new verbena seedling.
3. Choose from a variety of verbena colors: purple, white, red, and pink flowers for your yard and garden.
4. Grow close to a walkway or patio so you can watch the butterflies. Butterflies love the nectar-rich verbena that blooms repetitively from spring to frost.

How to Create a Backyard Cat Sanctuary

Creating a backyard cat sanctuary is one of the most meaningful ways to support the cats in your life whether they’re beloved house cats, curious neighborhood visitors, or feral cats who’ve come to trust your space. A well‑designed sanctuary offers safety, enrichment, and comfort. Over time, it becomes a peaceful retreat where cats return daily to relax, explore, and feel at home.

In my own yard, the cat garden has become exactly that. The cats who visit are drawn to the soft mulch, the grasses, the herbs, and the quiet corners where they can nap or watch the world go by. A thoughtfully designed sanctuary doesn’t rely on photos the plants, textures, and layout speak for themselves.

 

Why Create a Cat Garden?

A cat garden provides:

• A safe space away from traffic and noise
• Natural enrichment through grasses, herbs, and textures
• Shelter, shade, and cozy resting spots
• A predictable environment that reduces stress for outdoor cats

Once the garden fills in, cats are naturally attracted to the movement of grasses, the scent of catnip, and the comfort of soft groundcovers.

 

Where to Place Your Cat Garden

Choose a location that is:

• Away from busy areas, pets, and car traffic
• Quiet and partially enclosed
• Easy for cats to access but protected from disturbances

Many people use the far corner of their yard. If you don’t have fencing, you can create privacy with:

• Trellises
• Shrubs
• Ornamental grasses

Cats feel safest when they can observe without being exposed.

 

What to Include in a Cat Garden

A well‑rounded cat garden can include:

• Water Feature

Cats love the sound of moving water and often dip their paws in. A small pond or cascading fountain adds enrichment and visual interest.

• Sandbox or Outdoor Litter Area

A dedicated sand area keeps cats from digging in your flower beds.
Plant rosemary or peppermint a foot away to help mask odors and provide privacy. 

• Cat House or Shelter

This serves as:

• A resting spot
• A hideaway
• Storage for food, water, and toys

• Cat Grasses

Plant wheat, barley, or oat grass. These grasses help cats digest food and reduce hairballs.

• Cat Herbs

Great choices include:

• Catnip
• Cat thyme
• Valerian
• Peppermint
• Rosemary
• Dandelion

Plant herbs in containers or directly in the garden to create layers of scent and texture.

 

catmint in full bloom 

How to Design Your Cat Garden

1.   Outline the space
Use white marking paint to sketch the garden shape on the ground. A 10×12 area works well for most yards.

2.   Draw your plan
Sketch the layout on paper and color‑code where each feature will go. This helps when buying mulch, gravel, plants, and soil.

3.   Prepare the site

o   Remove rocks, weeds, and grass

o   Loosen the soil

o   Mix in 2 inches of compost

o   Ensure the area drains well

4.   Install the sandbox

o   Dig a hole the size of the box

o   Level the bottom

o   Set the box in place and fill with fine sand

o   Add a stone border

o   Surround with 3 inches of pea gravel

5.   Add the water feature
Place it in the center or where cats can approach from multiple sides.

6.   Plant herbs and grasses

o   Plant grasses in front of herbs

o   Start grass seeds indoors or sow directly

o   Space herbs so they can grow full and bushy

 

Care Tips for a Healthy Cat Garden

• Water herbs and grasses in the morning
• Mulch or add pea gravel around high‑traffic areas
• Deadhead spent blooms to encourage new growth
• Remove dead plants and refresh sand as needed
• Add decorative touches like stepping stones or a cat statue
• Hang wind chimes high enough that cats can’t reach them

 

catnip grows in this garden

A Cat Garden Becomes a Sanctuary

Once your cat garden fills in, you’ll notice the change immediately. Cats will stretch out in the mulch, hide in the grasses, nibble on herbs, and return day after day because they feel safe. It becomes their retreat  and a beautiful, peaceful part of your yard.

.

Forcing Hyacinths to Bloom Indoors

Forcing hyacinth bulbs to bloom indoors is a good way to liven up your winter home with color and fragrance.  

I like to force the hyacinths bulbs to bloom in a vase. 

 In October I will set up several vases and for the next 10 weeks I will store the bulbs in my cellar as it is a cool and dry area.  The bulbs will root in the bulb vase.  The vase holds the bulb out of the water but allows the roots to obtain hydration from the water. 

Forcing hyacinths to bloom indoors is a good way to decorate your home as well as add a fresh clean fragrance to air during the winter months.  You can feature indoor hyacinths in the pretty vases by setting them on your fireplace mantle. 

Another way to decorate with indoor grown hyacinths is to gather several hyacinth vases in the center of your dining room table and accent the flower centerpiece with votive candles and balsam greenery. Set a hyacinth bulb vase on your bedside table and the lovely fragrance will fill the room.  

Tips: 
When you grow hyacinths bulbs indoor you are bringing the garden indoors.

Growing the hyacinths indoors is not hard but does require that you pay attention to the evaporation of the water in the growing vase by checking on it daily

Learn more about how to force hyacinths to bloom indoors.

 

Winter Care for Irises

    

Irises are flowers that grow from a rhizome.  This rhizome is planted close to the soil surface; no more than two inches bellow the soil surface.  When winter comes there may be snow and ice and if the iris is not shielded from the winter weather the rhizome may be damaged. 

Late November marks the end of autumn and soon the winter season will bring snow and ice.  This is the time to get the iris gardens ready for winter.  Care for your irises by removing the leaves, sticks, and acorns.  Then do a hand pull to remove any remaining weeds.  Protect the iris rhizome with a light organic mulch; pine needles, grass clippings or fresh wood from chipper.  

Questions and Answers:

 

Why do you apply organic mulch?  Organic mulch retains moisture, helps in preventing weed growth, provides root protection and when the mulch decomposes the nutrients improve the soil

Why do your remove leaves from iris bed?  Leaves attract borers and rodents and these garden pests will eat the iris rhizome.  So it is best to remove all leaf matter from the iris gardens. 


What is the best way to remove leaves from iris garden?   Removing  leaves from an iris bed is a little tricky because a conventional rake will uproot the plant.  The was best way remove the leaves is to blow them out of the garden.  Set the blower on low and slowly move the leaves out away from your plants. Slow and gentle movement will not harm the rhizome or disturb the roots.  If there are remaining leaves then go over the iris garden lightly with a metal tines rack.  By raking over the iris bed you will be able to remove the leftover leaves, sticks and acorns.  There will always be leaves leftover, that are buried in the foliage.   Remove the remaining leaves  by hand.  

When do you weed your iris garden?

Spot check for weeds in the garden before you apply the organic mulch.

Irises grown and photographed by sgolis

Tips:

Remove the organic mulch from your iris garden in early spring.  Do this to prevent borers and other rhizome eating pests .

View this video to learn more about caring for irises.

 

Landscape Trees -Planting and Buying Advice

Buy a healthy redbud tree

Planting a tree is not difficult however buying a healthy tree may be a little tricky.  A tree is an investment and will increase your property's value, so it is important to buy the right tree for your landscape. 

When it comes to buying a tree for your landscape choose from tree roots that are wrapped in natural burlap or from trees that are grown in a nursery container. Always buy trees from a quality nursery and check the return policy and tree warranty. 

I usually buy trees that are wrapped in a natural burlap covering. The wrapped root ball is an easier transplant.  There is no need to remove the natural burlap root ball cover because the roots will grow through the burlap.  This covering does not inhibit growth and because it is natural the burlap will break down in the earth over time. 

Note: Before transplanting a tree that is wrapped in natural burlap (no wax coating) it is best to cut or pull the burlap away from the tree trunk. By doing this you will allow the tree to get air, and better hydration and the tree will not become infected with insects.  Some tree experts say to clip the wires that hold the burlap in place others say to leave the wires because the roots grow out of the burlap.  I have planted trees with the wires intact and I have also cut every other wire. 
 

If buying a  tree grown in a container look for a healthy root that is growing outward. An indication would be roots growing out of the drain holes of the container. Another way to determine a healthy tree is to look for a full tree or bush with new growth.  A tree with brown leaves or dead branches is an indication that the tree is under stress or infection. 

Removing the tree from a container takes work. You would need to set the container on its side and then roll it back and forth to loosen the soil.  Then gently pull the tree out of the container.  Loosen the roots if they are entwined and hydrate the root ball before planting by setting the tree in a bucket of water or hosing it down.

Tips: 


Buy trees for your landscape in the fall or in early spring.  Plant trees in the fall a month before a hard frost.  

Plan on planting the tree in soil that is well-drained and in a location that provides the sun/shade requirement.  

Transplant the tree on a cool and cloudy day to prevent unnecessary stress. Water the transplanted trees well.  Continue to water throughout the growing season and in the autumn months if there is no rain. Soil is best if it is evenly moist but not wet.