Touch

A truly great garden encompasses all the senses. At least that's something that is written over and over again in garden design books. It's easy to make a garden nice to look, and having an emphasis on fragrance is pretty simple too. There are whole books devoted to edible gardening as that has become trendy again in the last few years. The sense of touch however rarely gets much of a shout out in garden design other than in the context of texture. This is kind of a shame because there are a lot of plants that are fun to reach out and pet. I am a very tactile person in general and I have a habit of trying to touch everything when shopping. I am only slightly more restrained when I am at garden centers, just on the off chance what I am reaching out to pet is really delicate or a skin irritant. So far, so good, I haven't broken any plants nor have I discovered anything unpleasantly irritating. I would like to share a few of my favorites, plants to think about including in your own space to make sure you really hit all the senses

Rhododendron yakushimanum- The underside of the leaves for this rhody are soft and velvety which makes it an irresistible plant for me. There are many hybrids of this plant so keep an eye and hand out for the ones that are pink flowered, those are the softest. I have introduced many people to the underside of the leaf and little kids always get a kick out of how fuzzy it is. As an added bonus the indumentum (the fuzz) on the underside of the leaf makes it more resistant to bugs.

Deciduous Larch- the new needles for deciduous Larches are silky and smooth and soft.  I used to stalk one particularly lovely larch every spring, running my hands through the branchlets outside some ones house on my way to work.If it was a long day at work, I would walk by the tree on my way home too. There are a lot of forms of Larch, from 35 foot tall, to small pendulous forms. that means there is one for every yard size.

Mexican feather grass-The name shays it all, this grass is irresistibly feathery. When I worked at a nursery I ran my hands over and through the gallon sized pots all the time. Buyer be forewarned though, this grass is best kept contained in a pot. It is an aggressive runner and can take over a garden. However a nice planter filled with it next to a hammock or lounge chair is an excellent choice. Close enough to reach over and touch but not allowed to run rampant.

Trumpet vine - This is not much of a texture plant but like I love popping open the flowers. They are like bubble wrap. There is a popping sound and it doesn't harm the plants any just opens the flower up. 

Yarrow- I hate the smell of yarrow. That said, it is a fun plant to touch. The foliage is really soft and feathery and the flowers make a bumpy cluster. I just keep my nose away from the plant.

Allium "Globemaster"- Try not to tap this flower, I dare you. There are several different Alliums that are equally satisfying to gently hit but this is the biggest and best known one.

These area few of my favorite plants for touching in the garden, here is another article with a longer list. http://www.finegardening.com/fuzzy-prickly-and-tickly-touch  I know there are more fun to touch plants out there so keep your eyes and hands out for them