DEMENTIA Australia’s plot to provide a new space for clients in and around the North Ryde area has come to fruition following the recent opening of its new dementia friendly sensory garden.
The launch of the new garden at the site of the organisation’s North Ryde office follows on from the opening of a similar garden at the organisation’s Port Macquarie site last year.
The new garden has a flowing, easy to navigate design and a number of features including horizontal and vertical gardens, an outdoor kitchen area, sandy and pebbled areas designed to provide different textural experiences and a small put put golf lawn.
Visitors to the garden can take part in a number of activities including painting, talks, educational programs, games, pruning, planting seedlings and harvesting produce from the herb and vegetable garden.
Executive director of client services Susan McCarthy said a great deal of community consultation had gone into the planning of the garden and she was very happy the garden was now open.
“It’s widely known that all forms of physical activity are of great benefit (to people with dementia),” she said.
“We know spending time in the garden is great for brain health and has a direct benefit in terms of stimulating learning, sensory awareness, memory retention and social interaction.”
Susan said the garden had an extremely “calming” feel, featured dementia friendly signage and was easy to navigate.
She said now the garden was open and operational, the next goal was to let more people know about it and expand its usage.
Architect Marie-Claire Geach from sym.studio – which also designed the garden at Port Macquarie, said both spaces had been in development for several years, with initial consultations between director Conrad Grayson and Dementia Australia taking place in 2015.
She said a great deal of consultation went into making both sites dementia friendly.
Marie-Claire said carers, people living with dementia and people who had lost loved ones were all consulted and were asked what they liked about going outdoors and what type of features they would like to see in a garden.
Most people consulted for the North Ryde project had suburban upbringings, so features such as a bird bath, bird house, clothesline and old push lawnmower were all incorporated.
The garden was designed with dementia friendly characteristics including clearly defined edges, interactive textures to complement fine motor skills and cognitive development and a safe and secure environment with even surfaces.
The garden was also designed with an easy to navigate loop path and with ample opportunities for users of varying mobility levels to plant, pick, smell and interact with nature.
Marie-Claire was on hand for the opening and said it was satisfying to see guests reacting enthusiastically to the garden.
“Before it (the opening ceremony) started, the doors were open and everyone went straight out into the garden,” she said.
“Even though there was a ribbon on the door, people still went out and walked around which showed it was really drawing them in.”
For more information, call 9805-0100 or click here.
- Read more: Gardens make a great deal of sense
- Read more: Dirty hands, tranquil days for ACT group