The Making Sense Garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

We are pleased to share further details of the Making Sense Garden being exhibited at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

A collaboration between Fifth Sense and Scouarnec and Pease-Cox Garden Design, the garden will enhance the senses of touch, hearing and sight with captivating textures, colours, shapes, and sounds across two levels.

The upper level will be planted with brightly coloured, tactile flowers from the Fifth Sense palette. It includes a gently curving, crunchy gravel path that leads to a tranquil sunken garden on the lower level.

The lower area will emulate a comfortable space for people affected by smell and taste disorders. It’s a place where they could relax, talk, and enjoy the sights and sounds around them. The area will feature a log bench shaded by a tree, a simple water feature and two beautiful multi-stemmed trees with tactile bark to frame the view. Stone palisades will create a striking focal point amidst the lush planting.

Duncan Boak, CEO and Founder of Fifth Sense, said: “The loss of, or changes to, the sense of smell significantly impacts people’s physical and mental health as well as their ability to appreciate fragrances and their gardens.

“Inspired by these challenges, Flora Scouarnec and Victoria Pease-Cox are creating the Making Sense Garden. We’re grateful to them for this valuable opportunity to increase awareness of the vital role that smell plays in connecting us to our outdoor spaces.”

Visitors can learn more about the garden and participate in interactive activities related to smell and taste at the adjacent activation zone managed by Fifth Sense.

Visit the Making Sense Garden

The RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival runs from Tuesday, 02 July to Sunday, 07 July 2024, with the first two days being for RHS members only.

As well as viewing the gardens, visitors can enjoy talks and demonstrations, music, shopping, food and drink and family activities. Find out more here.