The Sensory Garden, next to the Senior Center in Pleasanton's Centennial Park, was designed by Livermore Amador Valley Garden Club members in 1992. LAVGC has continued to be responsible for the design, planting, and maintenance of the garden beds in the Sensory Garden since then. Occasionally LAVGC members also participate in activities at the Senior Center, providing activities out in the garden.

Most of our visitors are seniors so we kept that in mind when designing the garden. If you're there on a work day, you'll be thanked for your efforts by the many seniors who pass through.

The garden's name describes what it is meant to do—stimulate the senses. Each plant in the garden has been selected for its particular characteristics; for example, for color, texture, fragrance, attraction for pollinators and birds. The garden consists of three raised beds and two large in-ground beds. Each raised bed is labeled with a sign for its sensory theme—Visual, Smell, Touch—with the plants in the bed following its theme. All beds are designed for year-round appeal to both people and wildlife.

LAVGC is responsible for the irrigation in the three raised beds, which is Netafim tubing controlled by a battery-operated controller located in Bed 2. Beds 4 and 5 have no irrigation; they do get a small amount of lawn overspray in some small areas. Plants chosen for Beds 4 and 5 need to be able to survive in little or no summer water. There are a few people in the Club who are willing to help with irrigation problems (usually squirrels chewing): David Gates, Graham Stott, and Roger Morin.

How to Participate in this Group

Sensory Garden work parties occur monthly throughout the year. Each month’s newsletter and the Calendar contain information about the upcoming month’s work party. You do not need to sign up ahead but we recommend that you sign up for the group’s email distribution list so that you get the latest details about the month’s work party and any cancelation notices.

Location

The Sensory Garden is next to the Pleasanton Senior Center in Centennial Park (Centennial Park, 5353 Sunol Blvd, Pleasanton, CA 94566)

Relationship with Senior Center and Parks Department

LAVGC has designed and maintained this garden since the early 1990s. Because this garden is in a City park, LAVGC needs approval from the City for certain changes so that they in alignment with City requirements and safety standards. For example, for the 2022-2023 garden refresh we had to share our plans with the Parks and Recreation Department, including making a presentation to the Parks and Recreation Council.

The City also provides other support on an ongoing basis:

Greenwaste pickup: The Parks Department will provide a trailer for garden waste for our Sensory Garden work parties. To order a trailer, contact Josh Callahan with the Parks Department a few days before the work party. His phone number is (925) 596-4183.
Inclusion in Senior Center Events: Since 2023 we have been participating in one or two Senior Center events per year, for example, the “Party on the Patio” and the Senior Center’s 30th anniversary celebration. We need to check in with our Senior Center contact periodically to see if there are any events coming up.
Printing Materials: The City of Pleasanton will print any of our brochures and printed materials used for Senior Center and Sensory Garden activities, free of charge. When you need new copies, send emails with the PDF of the document to our Senior Center contact.

Sensory Garden Maintenance Materials

Plant List & Maintenance Manual
Monthly Quick Start Maintenance

Sensory Garden Brochures

These brochures were created for Senior Center events we’ve participated in. On an ongoing basis we keep the Sensory Garden pamphlets in a brochure holder in the Sensory Garden. If you run out of brochures contact our contact person at the Senior Center to ask him to have more made.

Sensory Garden
Culinary Herbs
Pollinators In Your Garden

Presentations

2022-2023 Refresh Project (Member Meeting)
Pleasanton Parks and Recreation Commission March 2023

In the News

Pleasanton Weekly Article 5-18-23

Sign Maintenance

LAVGC purchased a number of signs for the Sensory Garden. If signs in the beds or the Interpretive sign needs to be replaced, ask the LAVGC storage manager for the 2022 Sensory Garden Refresh Details document.

Sensory Garden History

The Sensory Garden, in the Centennial Park by the Senior Center, was the result of collaboration between the Livermore Amador Valley Garden Club (LAVGC), City of Pleasanton staff, the Pleasanton Senior Center Task Force, the Park and Recreation Commission, and the Pleasanton City Council. It was built in the early 1990s.

When the Senior Center and Park planning was underway in the early 1990s, the LAVGC leadership approached the City staff, proposing that a Sensory Garden be included in the Centennial Park by the Senior Center. The purpose of the garden would be to provide the surrounding Senior community a full garden sensory experience, offering a welcome memory of gardens in their past. Members of the Senior Center Task Force were quite supportive of the project and even suggested some plant ideas. The Senior Center and the surrounding park were dedicated in October 1992. (The original 1992 garden plan is archived.)

The City agreed to fund the basic structure, irrigation and soils for the new Sensory Garden. The Garden Club agreed to provide the plants and take full responsibility for the garden maintenance. LAVGC members have been maintaining the Sensory Garden for 30 years, since its inception. The City has been helping by providing a trailer to pick up garden debris after LAVGC work parties.

Garden Refresh Project, 2022-2023

In the fall of 2022, Club members began refreshing the garden because over the years it had veered away from its sensory focus. New plants were purchased and grouped according to sensory theme, and old and tired plants were removed. Currently, members are working on adding signs to the garden and installing plant tags to identify the plants. Members are planning to have a party in the spring for our senior visitors to introduce them to the refreshed garden. For details about this project and information about the signs ask the LAVGC storage manager for the 2022 Sensory Garden Refresh Details document.

Sensory Garden