Sound

I would say sound is the trickiest sense to tackle in a garden, but as the Zoe Ball Listening Garden by James Alexander Sinclair proved, it can be the most fun and experimental. He buried speakers beneath large water features that you could just about hear and feel through your body. In our own spaces we can introduce sound by encouraging birds, plants that rustle, running water, gravel paths or shingle and even the squeak of a gate.

Make it happen

Think about sound sources, such as surfaces that make particular sounds as you walk on them – gravel, decking, paving.

Use plants that swish in the wind, like bamboos, or tall grasses such as miscanthus. Or try things that clatter, like the tough leaves of hardy palms ( Trachycarpus fortunei).

Add a running water feature. This will introduce sound that can be soothing and distract from traffic or noisy neighbours.