The garden on Melrose Road
West Mersea's Sensory Garden was created in 2000 at the corner of Melrose Road and Barfield Road. It was planned with scented flowers and shrubs, providing a garden that could be enjoyed through scent as well as sight, particularly by visually impaired visitors.
Local landscape gardener David Morris designed it, and sculptor Shirley Morrison made the small figure known as Flora. The Town Council funded the project with contributions from local charities and continues to maintain the planting and grounds.
Finding it
The garden is close to the school and West Mersea Park, away from the island's busier waterfront. It is a small planted public garden rather than a large park or children's playground.
The original design
The planting was intended to be enjoyed through scent as well as colour, particularly by people with visual impairments. The small statue Flora was made for the garden by sculptor Shirley Morrison. The Town Council’s record of its public spaces names David Morris as the garden designer and records the council’s maintenance role.