It was all hands-on deck in the Garden’s potting shed. A rainbow of young plants, fresh from nurseries around the region, sprawled across worktables and erupted from seedling trays on the ground. Like so many tiles in a mosaic, these individuals would soon come together to form a single work of art. All the Horticulture Team needed to do with these plants was plant them—680 of them to be exact—into 68 hard plastic trays that, when arranged vertically, would produce a gravity defying display known as the Living Wall.
Conservatory gardener Greg Farrington works on building the Living Wall.
Building a wall of plants roughly 15 feet wide and 6 feet tall has its challenges.
“Once I had the design in mind and knew the colors I wanted, the trickiest part became picking plants that would work,” conservatory gardener Greg Farrington said. It was his vision—bold colors, varied plant textures, dramatic diagonal lines—that the team was helping bring to life.
In designing the Living Wall, Greg was after plants with flowers or foliage that circle the color wheel. But not everything grows well vertically, blooms throughout the summer season, and can withstand the heat that typically results from the stone hardscaping where the Wall is annually installed. After some research, he chose eight different plants and then mapped out a geometric design to guide how they would be arranged during the installation.
“I wanted this year’s Living Wall to feature a really striking pattern because it’s in the Garden Within Reach, and the idea is that everything’s very sensory there,” Greg said.
The Living Wall has long been a highlight of a garden known as The Court: A Garden Within Reach. Built in 2015, this garden was named to honor Robert Courtemanche, a friend of New England Botanic Garden who wanted to bring people of all abilities closer to nature. Visitors to the Garden Within Reach find a beautiful, universally accessible design. Raised beds demonstrate more
The planters for the Living Wall await being hung on the Living Wall structure.
comfortable, accessible options for mobility-challenged gardeners. Plants chosen for interesting visual features, fragrance, and tactile qualities make exploring this garden a multisensory experience. Unlike in other gardens, here the soft, furry foliage of silver sage (Salvia argentea) is meant to be touched. Vanilla-scented flowers of the heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens ‘Marine’) were planted for wafting. Nearby, a tranquil water feature makes the garden that much more serene.
This summer, the immersive and accessible sensory elements of the Garden Within Reach took center stage at a series of special events hosted in partnership with HMEA’s Autism Resource Central, an organization supporting Central Massachusetts families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) with education, family activities, referrals, and other supports. Known as Sensory Friendly Evenings, these events invited people to the Garden after hours to enjoy nature-based experiences in a low-sensory, less-crowded way. Researchers and parents alike support the therapeutic power of outdoor spaces, like sensory gardens, intentionally designed to encourage connection in nature by appealing to all five senses. (Check out Royal Botanic Gardens for some great info on how to build a sensory garden of your own!)
The finished Living Wall sits at the entrance of the Garden Within Reach by the Visitor Center.
At Sensory Friendly Evenings, and countless other events continuing throughout the summer, the Garden Within Reach, and the Living Wall in particular, engage guests of all abilities as they make memories here at the Garden.
Visitors often ask if this year’s Living Wall design is a peace sign. “Not intentionally,” Greg says. But he loves that interpretation. It resonates with what gardening can be about, and with what this Garden is about—connection, belonging, peace, and learning in nature.
You can see (and take a photo with!) the Living Wall now through fall. You can learn more about accessibility at the Garden when you plan your next visit.
The final Sensory Friendly Evening event of the summer is coming up Wednesday, August 10, 2022. Reserve your tickets online here!
—Liz Nye, New England Botanic Garden, August 2022