Dow AgroSciences Creates Noble Sensory Garden for Adults with Autism

On Friday, Oct. 26 and Saturday, Oct. 27, Dow AgroSciences employees, Noble staff and family volunteers descended on Noble East to install fragrant and textured plants, benches, a double glider wooden swing, wind chimes, textured bubbler water fountains, a bird bath and vertical growing walls. A variety of pathways that make different sounds when walked upon were incorporated into the overall design, as are separate areas with colorful and relaxing appeal. All elements of the sensory garden were selected to stimulate the senses of touch, sound, smell and sight.

In addition, the volunteers revamped Noble East’s front entrance island and landscaped the area in front of our 15,000-square-foot Giving Sum Garden. This garden was created through a grant by Giving Sum to provide individuals with disabilities the opportunity to gain horticultural skills while working alongside volunteers from the community to plant, weed and harvest a variety of fruits and vegetables. The majority of the produce from the garden is donated to Old Bethel Community Outreach Food Pantry while the remainder is utilized in cooking classes held in Noble’s day services for the adults it serves.

In addition to the volunteer and financial assistance being provided by Dow AgroSciences in realizing this dream for Noble, other community partners were vital to the success of this effort: One Source Rentals, Tiffany Lawn and Garden Supply, RL Turner in Zionsville, C.M. Hobbs Nursery, Perennials Plus Nursery, IMI Concrete, and New Discovery Wood Working.