New Perrysburg Garden Designed to Use All of Your Senses

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – There is a special garden in Wood County that encourages you to do more than look at the flowers and plants. The garden is located in the WW Knight Nature Reserve in Perrysburg. It is designed to encourage you to use all of your senses to explore.

“You can smell things, touch things, and even taste certain things,” says Jim Witter, program coordinator for the Wood County Park district. “We encourage you to also listen to the sounds of the garden. We have herbs and vegetables growing that you can taste. This garden puts you in a different open space. It is a stress relief to be there.

The garden is a labor of love. It was maintained by volunteers and park staff. The point is to connect you with nature, it is also to connect people to each other.

“I hope it’s a place of renewal and relaxation,” says Witter. “We also want it to be a community with family, friends and even strangers who volunteer. “

While many plants are firmly rooted in the ground, there is a concerted effort to keep the garden cool.

“We always experiment with flowers, plants and vegetables from year to year,” says Witter. “We are always replanting and adding. It’s fun to be creative that way.

The garden is a small piece of the reserve. The land is full of different habitats to explore. “There are ponds and wetlands, so there is an aquatic component,” he says. “There is a wood and a meadow. The meadow will bloom next month, so now is the perfect time to come visit it.

Witter enjoys sharing the land he loves with the community. “It gives you a good feeling to see children and adults enjoying the gardens and parks.”

The sensory garden is at its peak right now. Most of the flowers in the garden are in full bloom and will stay that way for the next few weeks. The garden is free and open to all during the opening hours of the park.

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