SUMTER, S.C. — Improvements are coming to the Sensory Garden in Sumter as master gardeners are working to replace flower boxes. At Swan Lake Iris Gardens, the space aims to appeal to all five senses.
“The Sensory Garden is so cool,” Jeffrey May smiles.
May moved to Sumter about a month ago and is enjoying the sensory garden at Swan Lake.
“The thought to collect things that are more fragrant and maybe have a weird texture for people cannot see the beauty that we get to see is such a thoughtful and touching thing to do,” May tells me.
The garden appeals to all five senses, with signs written in Braille surrounding it. It’s maintained by the Sumter Master Gardeners.
“Over the course of the year, I'll be out here 30, 40 times,” gardener Phil Landfried says.
Landfried has been working on the garden for the past 10 years. Recently, he says it needs a little renovating.
“The garden was established in the late 90s. Sometime in the early 2000s, they moved some garden boxes that sit on the perimeter of the outline of the garden,” Landfried explains. “And so the boxes that were established then are still in use. Now they've been falling apart. So we decided about a year ago that we would replace them.”
Now, almost all of the boxes have been replaced.
“The old boxes lasted about 20 years. So I'm hoping these last 20 years as well,” Landfried says. “And then in 20 years, somebody else will take on the role of replacing them.”
Landfried says he’s hoping the garden can be enjoyed for years to come by people like fellow gardener Mary Jean Dowling.
“I like being outside and seeing what God has done without us,” Dowling laughs. “I come sometimes with a sandwich. Just sit on the bench and watch the water.”
Dowling says the Sensory Garden, also called the Braille Garden, was created for an Eagle Scout Project in the late 90s.According to Dowling, Matt Sheehan created the garden so visually impaired people, like his mother, could enjoy the garden.
Along with help from Boy Scout Troop 305, Sheehan dug the beds, put in the fence, the path and planted the plants, Landfried shares.
“I think it's a nice feature,” Landfried says. “And something that you know, when I first moved to Sumter, we would kind of walk around here every now and then and we're just kind of impressed that such a thing even existed.”
When it comes to maintaining the space, Landfried says it’s the sunshine and the positive reactions from community members that keeps him working.
“The comments that we receive are always positive and so that just that makes it all worthwhile when you hear that,” Landfried smiles.