Greening of Detroit developing sensory garden for visually impaired

Greening of Detroit, in partnership with the Greater Detroit Agency for the Blind and Visually Impaired (GDABVI), is developing a sensory garden to be planted at the organization’s headquarters on Grand River in the Grandmont neighborhood.

The approximately 1,500 square feet garden, which has been funded by a $14,000 grant from the Carl’s Foundation, is currently being designed by Jeff Klein of Classic Landscape, Ltd (pictured).

Greening’s Ashley Atkinson says that the garden is being designed only after a series of visioning sessions with GDABVI staff and clients as well as a “Dream and Design” session held on Jan. 21. At that meeting, clients, volunteers, GDABVI staff and board and neighborhood residents gathered to rate options and provide feedback.

Atkinson explains that traditional charette exercises rely on the visual. Since that method would not work in the context of the blind and visually impaired, five stations—one for each sense—were set up with 6-8 options at each that were rated by each participant. She says, “At the touch station were different textures, and at the sound one, different garden sounds. At the taste station, there were different herbs and some vegetables and at the sight one, powerful colors of flowers—how they mix together. And of course, there was a smell station with garden smells.”

Klein is using the ratings as well as subsequent group discussion to complete a design, which Atkinson expects to share with the agency in March.

Source: Ashley Atkinson, Greening of Detroit