Sensory Garden

Friends of Barr Lake and the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies are working jointly to build a sensory garden in the grove just west of the Old Stone House at Barr Lake State Park. The funds for the sensory garden were provided through a Legacy Grant awarded to us by City of Brighton.

The sensory garden will engage four or five of visitors’ senses, minus taste. The garden consists of a wheelchair accessible path through the grove. There are two flower boxes which are accessible by wheelchair that will have plants that allow visitors to engage their sense of sight (colorful plants), sense of smell (fragrant plants), and sense of touch (plants that are safe to be touched). Further along the path will be places for visitors to sit and enjoy the sounds of nature, wind blowing through the trees, and wind chimes. There will also be appropriate signage. The intent of the garden is to accommodate people with disabilities. The planters are low enough for visitors in wheelchairs to reach in, touch, and smell the plants. The areas for listening will have a bench and tree stumps for visitors to sit on, relax, and enjoy the sounds around them. In addition to the sounds of nature, and the wind chimes, the sounds of the outside world including the railroad and highway will also be heard.

The materials and labor for the flower boxes were donated by an Eagle Scout, Ryan Pelster. Planting soil, river rock for the base and weed barrier material were donated by Richardo Bejarano, a local landscaper. Wind chime was donated by Ron Burge (Friends of Barr Lake board member).

We are excited to work on this project with the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies and think it will be a great addition to Barr Lake State Park, that will be inclusive for many different types of visitors!