St Peter's Primary School

Special Commendation 2019

A haven for quiet contemplation this garden combines spirals and calming herbs. The scents of chamomile, lavender and thyme combine to create a garden where you can let your worries flow away.

Mini Gabion

Stone spiral

A calming place

Let your worries disappear in this sensory, calming garden. A spiral design of pebbles spins your worries smaller and smaller until they disappear. Planted with Aloe for anxiety, Thyme to turn off the tension, and other edible and pollinator friendly plants, take some time here to unwind.  

This garden starts with a base made from reclaimed pallet wood with a miniature gabion at the back. A gabion is a cage filled with rocks or soil used as a retaining wall, dam or temporary flood barrier that is resistant to erosion. Gabions are heavy and so resist being moved by heavy flood water, and will also help to slow the speed of flowing water. 

In the original design this gabion wall is topped with sedum, a succulent plant that is drought resistant and beneficial to insects. The base of the garden is filled with soil topped with gravel for good drainage.

The pebbles in the middle of the garden are arranged in a spiral shape for pupils to spin their worries into smaller and smaller sizes until they disappear into the well in the centre. Lavender borders the spiral at the back of the garden bringing a calming scent.

This Pocket Garden is a Drought Resistant Garden. Scotland’s trend towards drier summers means that our plants may get thirsty.  Drought resistant designs look at ways to help the ground hold on to its moisture or feature plants that are adapted to tolerate periods of dry weather through deeper roots or with spiky, hairy or aromatic leaves that help the plant hold on to water. Drought resistant plant lists can be found here.