Planting Possibility at The Sands Academy: Our Sensory Garden Begins to Bloom

By Lauren Sands, M.Ed.

May 8, 2025

This week at The Sands Academy, our dream of creating an edible sensory garden began to

take root—literally and figuratively. With the support of a generous donation from The Arboretum Garden Center in Ormond Beach, Florida, we are preparing to launch a vibrant new vegetable garden. This hands-on space will allow our students to care for an impressive array of plants, including grapes, watermelon, Brussels sprouts, squash, black beauty peppers, blueberries, spearmint, and more.

The donation also included milkweed and native flowering plants to support a pollinator garden, enriching the ecosystem while encouraging biodiversity. In just the first few days, our students have already observed monarch caterpillars among the leaves—sparking curiosity and joyful discovery.

But this garden is more than a beautiful addition to our school grounds. It’s a dynamic,

multi-purpose learning environment that supports cognitive development, emotional growth, and sensory integration—especially for our neurodivergent learners, including those with sensory processing differences, ADHD, and autism. Let’s dig into the ways this space nurtures every kind of growth.

Students Athena and Nolah proud of their blueberry bush!

Learning That Grows: Cognitive and Social-Emotional Development

Gardening is peaceful and sometimes messy, but it has a powerful impact on cognitive and

emotional development. According to a study in Frontiers in Psychology, students engaged in

school garden programs demonstrated stronger social behavior than peers in traditional

classrooms (Pollin & Retzlaff-Fürst, 2021).

We’ve seen this firsthand: our middle schoolers worked side-by-side to construct raised garden beds, while our younger students carefully planted seeds. Our 4-9th graders mapped out our garden, researching which plants to pair together and which ones to avoid planting together. Who needs full sun? Who needs partial sun? Every student has a role—from planting and watering to weeding and, eventually, harvesting.

Gardening teaches patience, teamwork, communication, and responsibility. Watching plants grow over time also helps build confidence and strengthens students’ connection to their environment and community.

Students Lea and Luna celebrating their plants!

Engaging the Senses: The Therapeutic Power of Sensory Gardens

Our garden has been intentionally designed to activate all five senses—sight, smell, touch,

taste and sound. These sensory experiences offer therapeutic value, providing both stimulation and calm.

From the scent of fresh herbs to the textures of leaves and the colors of blooming flowers, students are immersed in a rich environment that promotes sensory exploration and regulation. The natural sounds of buzzing bees, rustling leaves, and song birds create a peaceful atmosphere that invites students to slow down, observe, and connect.

This kind of sensory engagement is especially important for students who benefit from sensory input throughout their day. Sensory gardens offer especially meaningful benefits for students with autism, ADHD, and other neurodivergent traits. Nature-based interventions have been shown to improve sensory processing, attention, and social interaction in autistic children (Fan, Li, Ho, Phiri, & Choi, 2023). It also encourages independence and confidence, offering a proactive way to meet diverse sensory needs and support focus and emotional balance.

However, these benefits extend beyond neurodivergent learners. Sensory experiences help all students develop emotional awareness, self-regulation, and a stronger sense of connection to the natural world.

At The Sands Academy, we believe in cultivating environments where every student feels seen, supported, and capable. This new garden is not just a space for growing food—it’s a space where confidence, empathy, resilience, and joy can flourish alongside the plants.

Karim embrassing his love of plants!

An Invitation to Our Community

We welcome our wider community to take part in this exciting journey. As the garden grows, students will begin using what they harvest in cooking lessons, gaining valuable life skills along the way. If the garden thrives, we hope to share the abundance with local shelters and community organizations—nurturing not just our students, but our neighbors, too.

We can’t wait to share more updates as this living classroom continues to bloom.

You can follow our progress on teamawesomism.app

References:

Fan, M. S. N., Li, W. H. C., Ho, L. L. K., Phiri, L., & Choi, K. C. (2023). Nature-based

interventions for autistic children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Network Open,

6(12), e2346715. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.46715