Garden for the Blind

Garden for the Blind

If I were to sum up what I want to do with this garden in one word, it would be “awakening;” awakening of the senses other than that of sight. These senses include sense of smell, sense of touch, sense of taste, sense of sound, and also the kinesthetic sense (one’s place in space). The garden will allow for complete awareness of one’s surroundings and the plants present in the garden, although sight will not be used. The journey through the garden should be an enjoyable experience for those who want to emerge themselves in a world unlike the very physical one we live in to day. I find the concept of designing a garden for the blind to be very interesting. I began researching for the garden by viewing the website for the Dans le Noir restaurant in Paris, France. The room where one eats is in complete darkness and blinded staff members and waiters guide the restaurant goers throughout the restaurant. I want to do something similar to this in my garden in that there should be some people there to assist the blind as they walk through the garden if they would like assistance. However, the garden will not be in complete darkness. There will be light so that the blind can feel as if they are walking through a regular garden during the day and feel the sun and lights on them, but also for anyone else who would like to view the garden regularly or blindfolded. I want the garden to be able to be viewed in various ways by anyone who would like to do so.

While researching for the garden, I did not find the book by Richard Florida titled The Rise of the Creative Class to be too helpful, except that it made me appreciate the creative abilities that are needed to complete a project such as creating a Garden for the Blind. However, I did find Sensory Design by Joy Malnar and Frank Vodvarka to be very useful. In the book, I found an interesting passage that I hope will characterize my garden when it is finished and people get a chance to view it. The passage says that “Some great gardens unfold like narrative or a piece of music as we move through them and view their carefully choreographed wonders” (Malnar and Vodvarka). I hope that the smell of the flowers and the touch of the plants will allow those who experience it to feel this type of enjoyment as they go through the garden.