Growing a garden can be tantalizing to all your senses

My first impression of a garden was a row of corn, beans, potatoes and other plants next to Grandpa's house on the farm. It became my favorite destination at Grandpa's because I could get dirty without Grandma or Mom getting too mad at me. My concept of gardening was getting dirty while working (playing) in the vegetables.

Since I have worked in forestry, agriculture and horticulture for most of my life, my concept of gardening and a garden has expanded a little since I was Grandpa's helper. When I tour gardens, I find that the ones that make the greatest impression on me are the ones that affect all of my senses — sight, touch, smell, taste and hearing.

Sight

The sense of sight is excited in a garden by all of the colors of flower blooms that one can see. We generally think of green as a backdrop for other colors, but if you look closely, you can discern individual plants and plant groups by their shades of green. Shades of green can become a palate in their own right.

When thinking of color in a garden, don't forget birds, butterflies and bugs. The goldfinch adds bright yellow to the greens and browns of a winter landscape. Butterflies, with all the colors of the rainbow, will accentuate a summer garden. Red ladybugs just make me feel good about life and suggest that Mother Nature can take care of her own problems.

Taste

A garden also excites the sense of taste. Whose mouth doesn't water for the taste of that first vine-ripened tomato of the season or a big wedge of watermelon? And think of all of the herbs that are used to season your evening meal.

Smell

Have you ever smelled honeysuckle on a late spring or early summer evening? Plant this vine next to your patio and then relax in a recliner with a glass of wine. I'm not sure if the honeysuckle vine or too much wine will make you giddy.

Touch

Most of us don't think about the sense of touch in a garden until we have to weed it or prune rosebushes. I have visited gardens established for people with limited vision and am fascinated at the response of those individuals when they sense the different textures that plants have. Perhaps we should all close our eyes, be thankful for our sight, and feel the different plants in our landscape.

Hearing

Perhaps the sound of a garden is most overlooked in the modern world. In America we are used to power mowers and blowers, weed eaters and pruners, all powered by gas engines. The noise level is usually so high that we are encouraged to wear mufflers over our ears.

I can still remember the sound of a metallic swish created when the sickle brushed across the cutting blade of a push mower when, as a boy, I mowed the neighbor's yard. I prefer the snip-snip sound of pruners over the roar of gas-powered shears.

Sitting on a porch or patio is so much more pleasant when you can hear birds chirping in the early hours of a spring or summer morning. The night sounds of crickets and locusts seem to calm my nerves.

I have also found that the addition of a musically tuned wind chime can do wonders for the soul. When I first saw these chimes at a trade show I was skeptical about their ability to excite the senses. I thought they would only add noise to the landscape. But these chimes come in different lengths and produce different chords so that you can find ones that speak to you personally and remind you that life really is good.

Watch your garden come alive when you add plants and embellishments that excite your senses. Your garden will then become a restful haven for you, your family and your friends. Of course, the birds and butterflies will love it, too.

Send your gardening and landscape questions to Paul Schnare at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-0699 or by e-mail to news@semissourian.com.