Camp Kumbayah Sensory Garden

Creating a Natural, Healing Space in the Heart of Lynchburg

Camp Kumbayah, Lynchburg's community-focused nature center, was awarded a grant for a sensory garden to provide healing, and recreational and educational opportunities.

The vision was to create a sensory experience where people of all ages could engage with nature. So, we created a garden focusing on sensory stimulation featuring contrasting colors and textures.

The site was compacted clay with heavy deer pressure, so we chose the toughest of tough specimens and planted them in drifts to mimic the wild, varied plantings found in nature, inviting visitors to look, smell, and touch. Wind chimes, a trickling fountain, and soon herbs amplify the garden.

When Executive Director Amy Bonnette suggested using a cedar tree that had fallen nearby, we hauled the logs to mutual friends with a mill, who returned the lumber to us. We then constructed a pergola for a shady place to enjoy the garden.

Before

After