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The Clotilde Irvine Sensory Garden is a model display of accessible containers and planting designs suitable for a variety of gardening styles and abilities. It was designed for the Therapeutic Horticulture Program. Visitors in wheel chairs can enter the garden and see, on a smaller scale, many of the features found elsewhere in the Arboretum. The tree are crabapples, reflecting the Arboretums largest collection. There are annual and perennial gardens, a small rock garden, herbs, and water features. The open-air structure, home to many classes, and fencing are charactertistic of the Arboretum's architecture.
The garden is designed to appeal to all the senses. The color tile didactics beg to be touched. When activated, they explain human sensory responses. The three water features and the wind in the tall grass provide appealing sounds. It demonstrates the ways in which gardens can be made accessible. Hanging baskets can be raised and lowered. The ground level bed is edged in brick, making it easy to find with a cane, and raised beds are constructed of various materials (concrete block, wood, exposed aggregate) to demonstrate ways the home gardener can accommodate special needs.
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