• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Texas A&M Forest Service
  • Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostics Laboratory
  • Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
  • Texas A&M AgriLife Research
  • Texas A&M College of Agrculture and Life Sciences
Wood County Master Gardeners, Texas Agrilife Extension Service
Wood County Master Gardeners, Texas Agrilife Extension Service
  • Menu
  • Welcome
    • About WCMG
    • Join Us!
  • Newsletters
    • Archived Newsletters
  • Projects
    • Mineola Nature Preserve Sensory Garden, Mineola
    • Wildscape Garden, Mineola Nature Preserve
    • Hawkins City Park Project
    • Phenology Study
    • AgriLife Extension Office Wood County
  • Resources
    • Drought and Heat Tolerant Plants for Wood County
    • Native Plants for East Texas by Lin Grado
    • Online training courses by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
    • Gardening Zones
    • Recycling Garden Waste by Composting
    • HerbTips
    • East Texas Gardening
    • Texas Superstar
    • Earth-kind landscaping
    • Vegetable Resources
    • Trees of Texas
    • Fruits & Nuts
    • Plant of The Month
  • Buying Local
  • Membership Only
    • Forms and Reports
    • Meeting Minutes
    • Archived Meeting Minutes
    • Financials
      • Archived Financials
  • Monthly Gardening
    • January Gardening
    • February Gardening
    • March Gardening
    • April Gardening
    • May Gardening
    • June Gardening
    • July Gardening
    • August Gardening
    • September Gardening
    • October Gardening
    • November Gardening
    • December Gardening
  • Emeritus Members

Mineola Nature Preserve Sensory Garden, Mineola

The sensory garden, located adjacent to the pavilion at the Nature Preserve was designed for more than just looks. The plants are meant to be touched, smelled, and heard. The main requirements for plants used in these beds were sensory appeal and hardiness. The garden was designed to need minimal care after it was established.

The backbone of the two 10’ square beds is perennial herbs. Herbs like rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage and mint fit the requirements of appealing to more than one sense and easy care. Annual dill was added to attract and feed butterfly larva. Interesting ornamental grasses were chosen to add texture and sound. The Mexican feather grass has appeal year around.

Spring brings the sweet scent of the daffodils and dianthus. Summer color comes from yarrow, autumn sage and lantana. A rusty Black Haw viburnum and Mexican Mint Marigold offer fall color. And in the winter the dried plumes of the ornamental grasses give the garden interest.

Because these gardens are in a nature preserve the plants were also chosen for their lack of deer appeal. If deer get hungry enough, they will eat almost any growing plant, but they are not generally attracted to ornamental grasses or strong-smelling plants like herbs.

Links

  • Texas Master Gardener Association
  • Volunteer Hour Link
  • Wood County Master Gardener Facebook
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Texas A&M University System Member
  • Compact with Texans
  • Privacy and Security
  • Accessibility Policy
  • State Link Policy
  • Statewide Search
  • Veterans Benefits
  • Military Families
  • Risk, Fraud & Misconduct Hotline
  • Texas Homeland Security
  • Texas Veterans Portal
  • Equal Opportunity
  • Open Records/Public Information