Garden Club of Somerset Hills Enhances a Sensory Garden with a GCA Partners for Plants Grant

An Accessible Native Plant Sensory Garden Grows in Far Hills, NJ

September 23, 2026

In 2025, the Garden Club of Somerset Hills (GCSH) partnering with the Raritan Headwaters Association (RHA) received a GCA Partners for Plants grant to purchase a variety of plants to enhance RHA’s Sensory Garden at the publicly-accessible Fairview Farm Wildlife Preserve in Far Hills, NJ. Funding for the Sensory Garden (2018) and a path that meets Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (2025) standards was provided by The New Jersey Committee of the GCA through a partnership between GCSH and RHA. An ADA gate was added and funded by GCSH in 2021. The garden is a major feature of educational programs at RHA.

Designed to stimulate the five senses, the inclusive garden offers a rich, interactive context that promotes well-being, education, and meaningful engagement with nature for its visitors, including people with limited mobility and special needs. Through 2027, the club will add native pollinator plants as well as edible and medicinal plants, including trees and shrubs such as common serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), flowers such as pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea), grasses like bottlebrush grass (Grass Elymus hystrix), and herbs like chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla). Signage will identify each plant, its traditional and indigenous uses, and its role in the ecosystem.

The GCSH will assist in the planting, weeding, and watering of the garden. Additional maintenance will be provided by RHA staff as well as by groups of special-ed students led by RHA’s Director of Education. By promoting ecological stewardship, providing accessible green spaces, and educating the community about the value of native plants, the project is well aligned with the purpose of the GCA.