Well, Tyler, you've got an array of plants here, and you know, when we talk and think about a sensory garden, not everybody understands what a sensory garden, you know, actually is focused on.

So please share with us a little bit.

>>Yeah, yeah, so yeah, I picked five different type staple pieces that we have from our garden, in terms of sensory, in our kids, we're trying to get them to integrate into the wider world, and to utilize the things around them.

So here we started out with taste.

So here we have a thornless blackberry, so we have our kids coming and utilizing this to eat and taste.

It's a little sour, so the kids don't like it too much.

It's actually right outside of our playground.

>>Oh, fun.

>>And so the kids are able to like, reach over the gate and to eat it outside of the garden class.

So that's a really fun piece.

>>Excellent.

>>And also able to utilize a delayed gratification, like as you could see, some of the red ones, they aren't really ready yet.

>>Yes.

>>And so teaching them like, no, you gotta wait 'til they darken up, so.

>>That's a hard lesson to learn for all of us.

>>Yeah, yeah, no teeth have been broken yet, thankfully.

>>(laughing) Okay.

>>Yeah, and then we have over here, we have some false indigo, or the baptisia, which we utilize for sound.

It makes a maraca-type sound.

>>I love it, yeah.

>>Yeah, in the fall when it starts to die off, and we're cutting it down, the kids like to use it to play around, so.

>>What a fun game to go around- >>Yeah, yeah.

>>Just make noise.

>>Yeah.

>>And be kids about it.

>>(laughing) Right.

Yeah, and so for visual, we just got a beautiful celosia.

Obviously, like the texture is great.

It's really beautiful to look at, the color's popping.

And so the kids really like to look at that.

>>You know, some people don't really grow the cockscomb as much.

>>Yeah, yeah.

>>And it's such a fun plant to grow, and you're right, it adds a texture to the garden to look at.

>>Truly, truly, yeah, we have a array of different flowers, so that's a beautiful one.

And for touch, we have a- >>I have to touch.

>>Yeah.

>>I have to.

>>Biggest, one of our biggest fan favorites for the students and staff at The Villa, you know, obviously it's great for the tactile, like having the kids to overcome the fears of, you know, bugs and plants, and realize that, you know, it's good for you, you know?

>>And lamb's ear is so easy to grow, and so many people don't realize that it's a plant that may not be native, but it's great in the garden, just to soften things.

>>Yeah, we do make some exceptions, you know.

We try to keep it native, but you know, this is, it's perfect for, you know, the senses, so.

>>Yes, yes.

>>And then over here we have our, we have a bouquet of our different herbs.

So here we have some beautiful dill.

>>Ah, fragrance.

>>Yeah, yeah, the flowering dill, that's great, the kids love that.

Another staple piece we have is the lemon balm here.

>>Which we make tea out of.

>>Yeah, yeah, we actually do that a lot with the kids.

And then also the spearmint, another mint we use, we utilize to make teas and- >>I love it.

>>Yeah, so, you know, it's an experiential learning space.

So on top of just, you know, experiencing, they're able to get in there, and to learn how to do functional things, like make teas, and utilize the herbs for different things, yeah.

>>Right.

And I wish people could smell (laughing).

>>Right, yeah, no, it's great, it's great.

>>Yes, it is.

>>It's a contrast to me in my, you know, working outside all day, so.

>>(laughing) You're fine.

But you also have some dried herbs over here?

>>Yeah, yeah.

So yeah, like I said- >>The rosemary right here?

>>It's a experiential space, we do production, right?

So we have some rose rosemary here.

This, coupled with some of the other herbs, we use our hands with the kids to crush up, and to make into our very own Villa pizza herbs.

>>Ooh, fun.

>>So that's a cool way for the kids to, you know, use their hands, and to see the fruits of their labor, as they say, so.

>>Yes, what else do you put in that pizza?

>>Yeah, so we have sage as well.

>>Right.

>>Which the kids actually grew from seed in our greenhouse.

>>Oh, fun.

>>And so, yeah, and then we also have some oregano here, which, you know, we have a lot of that in our herb garden.

And so they're able to smell that on a daily basis, and then, you know, use it.

>>Do they get a chance to cook with it?

>>Yeah, yeah, we actually have a pizza oven in one of our cottages.

>>Oh, really?

>>Which is utilized to, you know, take some of the things from our garden, and you know, some of our basil, some of our lettuces, to, you know, make some cool fun pizzas with some of our other CAT stuff.

>>You're making me hungry.

>>(laughing) Yeah, yeah.

>>But then after a good pizza, you have to have a cup of tea.

>>Yeah, truly, yeah.

So on top of our spearmint, and our lemon balm, we have some chamomile.

It's really flourishing in our garden right now.

And so that's a great way for the kids to use their hands, the tactile motions, to pull off the chamomile, and to get a good whiff and to, you know, really, you know, smell some good stuff.

>>You know, I don't think people realize just how much all of the senses are engaged when you're gardening.

As you've been saying, you've been saying a lot about tactile, even the fragrance, and the touch and such.

And fragrance gardens are very special places for people to calm down.

You can just, a place to relax and enjoy.

>>Truly, truly, yeah, we have kids that, you know, varying levels of ability and behaviors.

And so I like to think of the garden as like a leveling space, a space where kids can go, and hear the birds, hear the leaves, hear the baptisia, and then, you know, able to kinda calm down, and use the wider world to, you know, regulate themselves.

>>That's fantastic, and it's all about learning to regulate.

>>Truly, yeah.

>>Tyler, thank you so much for coming in and sharing this.

>>Yeah, thanks for having me.

>>Appreciate it.