Rotary proposes accessible sensory garden at Riverside Park

If Huntsville’s Town Council agrees, a new garden will take shape along the shores of the Muskoka River, one that would delight multiple senses for those who visit.

Cara Schiedel of the Rotary Club of North Muskoka presented the club’s plan to Huntsville’s accessibility advisory committee on May 24.

They are proposing a sensory garden, most of which would be wheelchair-accessible, in Riverside Park to the east of the swing bridge.

It was Schiedel’s work as a speech language pathologist that sparked the idea.

“I work with a lot of children who have increasing sensory needs and differences,” Schiedel told committee. “Working alongside occupational therapists I’ve learned that one of the reasons for this is they just don’t have a lot of sensory input that they should be having at a young age. That planted a seed in my mind for one way that we could offer this in the community, something new and unique: a sensory garden that would be for all ages but engaging all of the senses.”

Schiedel was seeking input from the committee on accessibility and design, as well as its support.

The garden, which would follow the riverside edge of the park, would include a wheelchair accessible path which would pass five small planters or mounds, each with a different sensory experience. A barefoot sensory walking path and two benches are also part of the design.

The scent garden would include fragrant species like lavender and lemon balm. The sight garden would include plants with unique visual appeal, like allium, astilbe, and hens and chicks. The texture garden would contain touchable plants each with a different feel like lamb’s ear and ladies mantle. Edible herbs and plants like chives, rosemary, and rhubarb are proposed for the taste garden. And finally, a native plant and pollinator garden would contribute both visual appeal and staggered blooms throughout the growing season to attract bees and butterflies with plants like prairie bloom, bee balm, butterfly milkweed, and coneflower.

The barefoot sensory path would include several two-foot by two-foot sections of varying textures—like wood, grass, and smooth stones—to stimulate nerve endings in the feet.

Interpretive signs would explain what each garden is, why native plants and pollinators are important, and what the benefits of the barefoot sensory path are.

Community committee member Lorraine Blondin suggested that some of the trees along the edge of the park could be thinned for a better view of the river, adding another sight and sound dimension to the garden.

Councillor Dione Schumacher said that the project would be a “great asset to the town”, and compared it to a fragrant garden she visited in Savannah, Georgia which is intended for people with visual impairments. She said the addition of wind chimes or streamers hanging from the trees could add more auditory or tactile elements.

Community committee member Kaye Leslie called the project a “lovely idea” and referenced a CNIB [Canadian National Institute for the Blind] fragrant garden in Toronto and suggested that CNIB may be able to offer input on plants for the texture and scent planters.

Committee chair, Councillor Dan Armour, wondered about funding and maintenance of the garden.

Schiedel said that the planting would be covered by the Rotary Club of North Muskoka, and that she and the club would ensure that the garden is well-maintained.

Committee members expressed support for the project. The matter will be presented to council at a later date for its consideration.

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