Santa Clarita is located in the San Ferdinando Valley in southern California, a place with warm temperatures throughout the year and cool winters, but it rarely snows. Its climate makes it an ideal location for planting a sensory garden that stimulates all five senses; sight, smell, taste, sound, and touch.

Sensory gardens are typically filled with colorful plants, flowing water features, scented foliage, and tactile elements (like gravel or mulch). Sometimes gardeners add berries to include taste in its offerings.

While Santa Clarita’s climate is ideal for these gardens, it can vary widely depending on the season, so it is important to know what plants will weather the climate when planting a garden. Below are some factors that you may need to consider when choosing plants.

Drought Resistance

Because of its relatively warm climate, California can be very dry. Therefore, the first consideration when choosing the plants to have in your garden is the plant’s ability to withstand drought.

Many plants may be suitable for a California sensory garden in regard to drought resistance. These include the California lilac, which produces beautiful purple flowers in summer and spring, desert willow for a colorful backdrop to your garden, and Texas ranger, which blooms in hues of pink and purple.

Cold Resistance

Santa Clarita’s coldest months are usually December and January. While it rarely snows, California has in the past recorded temperatures of as low as 27 °F, so it is important to consider cold tolerance when choosing plants for your garden.

Some cold-tolerant plants suitable for a California sensory garden include the desert willow, California poppy, the night-blooming cereus, lavender rosemary, yarrow, and the California fuchsia. The best thing about these plants is that they tolerate extreme cold and will still strive in relatively dry conditions.

Serving the Purpose

The main purpose of a sensory garden is to stimulate the senses. So while you will need to consider the climatic suitability of the plants you use, you could also consider if the combination of plants you add to your garden serves the purpose.

Most of the plants mentioned in this list have one thing in common; they all bloom at some point, so the color aspect of a sensory garden is well-catered for. But you must also consider other aspects, such as texture and fragrance.

Some plants that you may want to add to your garden for their touch stimulation include lambs ear, Mexican bush sage, and feather reed grass. For the smells, you will want to have lavender, rosemary, and yarrow.

Funding for Your Sensory Garden

Creating a sensory garden on your property can be pretty expensive. However, if you have been recommended as a way of alternative therapy or want to have one, it is well worth all the costs. If you do not have the cash to fund your projects, you can explore the different funding options from lenders, but the best option would be leveraging your home equity by applying for HELOC.

HELOC is the Home Equity Line of Credit acronym, which allows borrowers to get funding for various purposes with their home equity as the security. To get approved for a HELOC loan, you must have accumulated significant equity in your home, with some lenders offering up to 95% of the home’s equity.

However, it is important to borrow wisely since your loans will affect your home’s equity and increase the chances of losing your home should you encounter challenges servicing it.

The Benefits of a Sensory Garden

Incorporating a sensory garden into your home can be an incredibly rewarding and beneficial experience.

Such gardens offer visual appeal but also provide more practical advantages like increased relaxation, improved explorative skills, and enhanced communication abilities, all while connecting users with the natural world in meaningful ways and, most importantly, increasing your property’s value.