JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Jamestown’s new sensory garden is available and ready for public after more than 4 years of volunteering and work.
The project all began when Jamestown Chamber of Commerce Beautification Committee Member Joan Morris was approached by Jamestown Parks and Recreation in 2016 to develop a garden in the city’s park system.
“When we started off with this project, we thought it would be nice to have a walkway through an unused part of the Solien-DeNault Park that would showcase plants and trees that would stimulate the senses,” Morris stated. “Another goal was to make the sensory garden accessible to all. But, with the receipt of donations and grant funds, our project grew to include a boardwalk and a stunning water feature.”
Mary Lewis, an educator at Anne Carlsen Center and an avid horticulturist, was responsible for a lot of the unique flowers and plants that can be found in the sensory garden.
Lewis says a lot of the plants feature a QR code, which is scannable with a smartphone or other device that can link directly to a website that gives more information on that plant.
Because of some of the features the park officers, it has already been recognized as an international Braille Trail, meaning there are physical aides that allow the visually impaired to experience the trail unassisted.
Lewis added that all five senses were addressed at the park, which is free and open for anyone to visit.
The garden joins over 200 Braille trails and sensory gardens in 35 countries worldwide. It is also the only site listed in North Dakota.
“We are grateful that we could collaborate with the Chamber of Commerce’s Beautification Committee, City of Jamestown Forestry Department, Anne Carlsen School employees, Freedom Resources and several master gardeners on this project,” said Doug Hogan, Jamestown Park and Recreation. “This garden is unique to Jamestown and we are hopeful that everyone will be able to enjoy it for years to come.”
Other Sensory Garden Committee members include Paulette Ritter, Bob Martin, Michelle Neumiller, Bonnie Ukestad, Laurie Podall, James Dixon, Felicia Sargeant, and Erik Laber, Jamestown City Forester.
The garden is located at Solien-Denault Park at 100 18th Ave NE in Jamestown.
Read more of a background about the project here.
You can view some photos from the Tuesday ribbon cutting below:
