Idlewild park of Reno will soon be home to a sensory garden designed specifically for children living in our community.

“A sensory garden is a garden that basically works on stimulating all senses individually by the beds,” says City of Reno’s Horticulturist Dianne Stortz-Lintz.

Beds will be filled with flowers and shrubs that’ll heighten awareness, from sharp and pointy to soft and subtle plants creating a unique learning experience for kids.

Program Director of Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful, Diedre Kennelly says “the sensory garden, they’re kind of new and there aren’t a whole lot in the United States actually so to have it here in Reno is really exciting.”

Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful and the City of Reno Parks, Recreation and Community services came together to develop the empty space that was once an amusement park.

Growing willow fedges, or living fence hedges will be made from willow cuttings woven in and out will eventually grow into a tunnel for kids to run through.

Other features will include a vegetable garden for taste, a sight garden with colorful displays and a large log and granite sculpture for feel. “It gets people involved in the natural environment and also we need to get people back into gardening” says Stortz-Lintz.

Park visitors say they’re eager to try out the new garden which is set to open this summer.

“You know, anything just new and different, and I suspect they’ll have some sort of presentation where you can read and tell them what they’re looking at. A lot of times they’ll ask me, what’s this or what’s that” says Reno resident

The garden is made possible by a grant through the John Ben Snow memorial Trust and the Robert Z Hawkins foundation.

The keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful organization is looking for some volunteers this Saturday to do some final planting for the season. If you’d like to volunteer your time call Diedre at (775) 851-5185.