Sensory Garden

“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.” – William Shakespeare

Welcome to the Council's Sensory Garden!

A group of people standing around a garden bed

The Sensory Garden has delighted Council visitors and passersby since the summer of 2023. It’s an invitation to slow down, touch, smell and see.

The original idea for the sensory gardens was hatched as a way to make our building more welcoming from the outside by creating a landscape that is visually appealing and to draw visitors to the plants’ lovely aromas and textures. They are a multi-sense adventure! Pinch the leaves of basil and smell the fragrance it leaves on the fingers. Same with the outgrowths of sage and columbine. The spicy scented, waxy pink flowers of the Korean Spice Viburnum are also a wonderful sensory experience.

There are shade-tolerant plants along the Livingston Street side of the building and sun-tolerant ones on the Williamson Street side. During the growing season, tall, bursting planters now reside on either side of the doors at both entrances.

The Council is grateful to Rock Prairie Master Gardener Association for planning and installing the Sensory Garden, and to the Marquette Neighborhood Association and the Willy Street Co-op’s Community Reinvestment Fund for funding to cover the cost of plants, flower pots, soil, and mulch. We’re also grateful to AARP Wisconsin for funding to support the signage in the Sensory Gardens.

Master gardener tending the sensory garden