Kerala’s first sensory garden to open in September

KOZHIKODE: They might not have ever seen a flower in their lifetime but now the Calicut University is all set to treat the visually challenged in the state to a full-fledged garden experience.

The first sensory garden in the state will be opened in the varsity in September which will enable the visually challenged students and visitors to experience the diverse world of plants.

The garden will consist mostly of plants which have aromatic leaves and fragrant flowers and which are amenable to touch. The sensory garden which is getting final touches at the varsity botanical garden will have a select group of around one hundred plants in the first phase.

It will also have an information system which will play out recorded audio descriptions of each plant at the touch of a button along with information panels about it in braille.

"As opposed to traditional gardens, the visitors here will be encouraged to touch and smell the plants. We will be focusing more on foliage plants in the garden as they are more amenable to touch. Also plants which provide a unique feeling of touch through their texture, thickness will be on display and those with thorns or which causes any kind of irritation will be kept out," Dr. A K Pradeep of the university botany department which is overseeing the implementation of the central government sponsored project said.

There will be acrylic boards in braille, providing information on the botanical names and uses of the plants. Also, recorded audio message about the plants will play out at the touch of a button. The visually challenged visitors will be able to go around the garden on their own with the tiled walkway which has differently textured tiles at junctions to guide the visitors.

Pradeep said that apart from plants, the sensory garden will also have a collection of seeds for the visually impaired students to touch and learn about.

"It would be the first sensory garden in the state and we think that it would help provide positive learning outcomes by helping students experiencing plants through textures, smells and sounds," he added.