Sensory Garden At Laurelwood Will Be Dedicated on Saturday

The new Sensory Garden at Laurelwood Arboretum will be dedicated this Saturday.

The garden is designed to give children and adults who are visually or physically challenged the chance to enjoy nature.

The garden incorporates soft, fuzzy, and spiky varieties of plants and plants with ripped edges and thick stems.

Brightly colored flowers and plants are intermingled with soft silver and blue hues are meant to be visually stimulating.

Soft grasses create a gentle rustling as the wind passes through them and a fountain offers soft, bubbling flowing water.

Fragrant lavender, rosemary, lemon thyme, and mint offer pleasant scents and the opportunity to taste herbs and spices this season.

A learning circle offers attendees a place to quietly relax and a place to host educational gatherings.

The Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum (FOLA), a non-profit that works to maintain and improve the arboretum, the Lions Club of Wayne, and the Passaic County Open Space Commission helped create the garden.

“We believe our Sensory Garden will have a lasting impact on visitors far beyond the day of their visit,” said Deb Bryant, first vice president of FOLA. “Most of all, it will be a peaceful place to sit, relax, and enjoy the wonders of nature.”

The arboretum is located at 725 Pines Lake Drive West. The dedication will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Parking is available at . Shuttle buses will take people to and from the arboretum from the restaurant. The rain date is Sept. 22.

For more information, log on to the arboretum’s website.

— Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Daniel Hubbard at Daniel.Hubbard@patch.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.