New Initiatives Grant Final Report
“Sensory Garden”
Please provide a brief narrative explaining your project and its outcomes.
I’m not sure how best to answer this. As you know, the previous director applied for this grant and I don’t know her thought process behind this, or what her intended goals were, other than to offer a sensory garden on library grounds. So, a major obstacle was me being brand-new and pretty much flying blind on this project. Unfortunately, another obstacle was timing. I was hired in May 2022 and by the time I had an opportunity to focus on this grant, it was already summer and flower and plant season were practically over. When spring 2023 rolled around, we were also in the midst of the final leg of a construction grant project – new windows. This meant that our limited outdoor space was unavailable as lead abatement and new window installation took over May-June 2023, so I wasn’t able to set up any kind of garden space. While I wasn’t able to plant anything, I did use the rest of the grant to purchase the supplies and I this will happen next spring! (Please, universe, work with me.) The previous director was able to get some landscaping done and a bench installed. The Youth Services Librarian purchased backpacks and bug catching kits for kids to use outside. I purchased raised garden beds, bird feeders, a water table for play, a reading rabbit garden sculpture, and an AeroGarden so kids can watch herbs and vegetables grow inside the library. My goal is to install the raised beds and have various herbs and plants that patrons can touch, smell, taste and see, as well as having wind chimes, bird feeders, bird baths and the water play table to engage the senses within a natural outdoor setting.
What is the most remarkable accomplishment or finding of your project?
When I can finally plant something without obstacles, that will be an accomplishment! Our outdoor space is very limited, so finding installations and supplies that work within that space has been challenging. I’ve also had to scale down what I envision in my mind as a sensory garden to what can realistically happen within our space and my very limited time constraints.
Anything else you’d like us to know?
I really appreciate your patience. It’s very challenging to try and finish a project when you have no frame of reference for what the original grantee had in mind. I did my best.
Jennifer Burke
Director, Maxwell Memorial Library
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