Tucked within Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses invites visitors of all ages and abilities to experience the landscape through the senses of sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. Designed with universal accessibility in mind, it’s a place where curiosity is encouraged, and following the winding path leads to wonderful discovery.
1. Run your hand along the Larch Arch.
It may look prickly from a distance, but the larch needles are surprisingly soft. It’s a fitting introduction to a garden that encourages you to experience plants through touch.
2. Find the bronze map.
Near the Larch arch entrance, you’ll find one of two bronze three-dimensional maps embedded into big boulders. This allows visually impaired visitors to explore the garden’s layout through touch. Raised pathways, planting beds, and key features help visitors become familiar with the garden before beginning their journey. They’re a great way to orient yourself before heading in.
3. Brush past the herbs.
The entrance beds are filled with fragrant herbs that invite interaction. Rub a small leaf between your fingers, breathe in the aroma of Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), Dill (Anethum graveolens), Sage (Salvia officinalis), Sweet Purple Basil (Ocimum basilicum), Lemon Verbena (Aloysia citrodora), and more. Yes, you’re invited to taste them too!
4. Notice what’s beneath your feet.
The ground itself is part of the experience. Changes in the brick paving help guide visitors with visual impairments while providing a smooth, gently sloping surface for wheelchairs and other mobility aids.
Further along, the reflexology labyrinth invites visitors to slow down and explore the textures underfoot.
5. Visit the Horticultural Therapy space.
Raised planting beds feature cutaway sections that allow gardeners using wheelchairs to comfortably reach the plants. This welcoming space hosts the Gardens’ Horticultural Therapy program and demonstrates how thoughtful design can make gardening more accessible.
6. Listen—and reach out!
The fountain, birdsong, resident frogs, and the gentle tones of the metal rod sculpture Windsound by Val Bertoia create a peaceful soundtrack on a breezy day. Before you move on, trail your fingers along the stacked stone at the edge of the pond, where water trickles over the rocks, adding another tactile moment to your visit.
Experience the world become hushed as you rest your head in the Sound Stones, blocking out all other noises. Try humming in them!
7. Pause on the wooden bridge.
Follow the path to the bridge overlooking the pond and pause for a moment. It’s one of the best places to appreciate the garden as a whole, where reflections on the water, birdsong, and seasonal blooms come together in a moment of quiet observation. While kinetic sculpture Flock of Birds by artist George Sherwood, flutters overhead.
Keep Exploring!
Inspired to experience the garden in a new way?
– Join a Five Senses Garden Family Tour to discover the garden through hands-on activities designed for curious visitors of all ages.
– Learn more about the Gardens’ Therapeutic Horticulture services, where people connect with nature through meaningful, plant-based experiences.
Most gardens invite you to just look. The Lerner Garden of the Five Senses invites you to listen, touch, smell, taste, and linger a little longer. Slow your pace, follow your curiosity, and let each stop reveal something new.
