A safe space for children to grow, explore, and connect—with nature and alpacas.
Nestled in the heart of the Gloucestershire countryside, PacaSense Garden is a unique sensory space where children can explore, connect, and thrive—guided by nature and accompanied by our friendly alpacas.
Designed to support wellbeing, creativity, and inclusion, the garden invites visitors to slow down and engage all five senses through playful discovery and natural interaction.
We’re Dianne and Dave, and we’ve created a peaceful, joyful space in Longney where animals, children, and nature come together. Our alpacas help us keep the garden tidy while charming visitors with their curious personalities. At Wicks Green Farm, we’ve created something truly special: a sensory garden designed with children in mind—especially those who thrive in calm, natural spaces with gentle encouragement and joyful discovery.
With fragrant herbs, textured plants, quiet corners, and interactive sensory features, the garden invites little ones to engage at their own pace. Our alpacas provide a calm, reassuring presence, encouraging curiosity, comfort, and connection.
Whether you're visiting as a family, a school group, or part of a community project, PacaSense offers a peaceful, inclusive space where all children—especially those with sensory processing needs, anxiety, or additional needs—can feel safe, supported, and free to be themselves. PacaSense is a safe, calming, and joyful space to reconnect with the natural world—at your own pace and in very fluffy company.
PacaSense Garden is a nurturing environment where children can: - Grow their confidence, creativity, and independence - Explore their senses through hands-on nature experiences - Connect with the world around them—and our friendly resident alpacas
🦙 Plan a Visit
Come and experience the magic of nature, the calm of the countryside, and the warm welcome of our woolly companions.
Book a session for your family, school, or group and enjoy a calm, enriching day in nature. 📅 available April–October
Get in touch to find out more, arrange a visit, or join our growing community.
Our sensory garden is not only beautiful to look at but also tantalises the senses too.
SIGHT - Flowers have bright, bold colours to attract birds and insects to them for pollination and seed dispersal, but they are wonderful for humans to look at too!
SOUND - Sit in our garden and listen to all the sounds of nature around you; the bees buzzing, the birds singing, the sounds of the wind rustling through grasses and plants. We have added a water feature and wind chimes to enhance the sounds in our garden.
TASTE - There are so many delicious plants that it’s difficult to choose just a few. Although many of these are used in our cooking, please remember that some children could have allergies to any one of them.
SMELL - The aromas given off by plants are wonderful to enjoy, but the smells have a purpose too. Plant scents attract insects to the flowers for pollination and some smelly leaves deter insects from eating them.
TOUCH - Leaves vary between plants, from rough to smooth, furry to spiky. Every texture has a purpose; many plants that are nice to feel have adapted to a specific natural environment in some way.
Sage
Silver sage (Salvia argentea): large, silvery –white leaves covered in cotton wool like down
Rosemary
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): highly fragrant leaves used to flavour meat and fish. Its scent is wonderful
Mint
Mint (Mentha): the mint family has a huge variety of different scents and flavours to smell and taste including apple, ginger, pineapple and chocolate
Lavender
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): relaxing, fresh aroma with tiny purple flowers
Fun facts about Alpaca… - Once a year our alpacas get the most amazing haircut. Alpacas are quite slim under their huge woolly coats and the shearers always leave a ‘mop top’ on their heads so they look really comical! - Alpaca fleece is hugely sought after. It get spun into a yarn and people use it for knitting as its very warm and very soft. - Baby alpacas are called ‘cria’ (pronounced cree-ah). - Alpacas always poo in the same spot, as do rhino. It’s called a ‘midden’ and it makes cleaning up after them much easier! - Do alpacas spit? They can do yes, it’s to warn people or predators away, or to tell a male alpaca they’re not interested in his advances! - There are no wild alpacas – the alpaca is the domesticated version of the vicuña!
🦙 Adopt me
Our ‘adopt an alpaca’ package makes the perfect gift with a one-off payment!
Includes adoption certificate, alpaca fact sheet, monthly newsletter and photo.
Whether you're a parent, teacher, carer, or community supporter, there are lots of ways to be part of the PacaSense journey. 🌱 Volunteer With Us – Help us grow and maintain the garden, care for the alpacas, or support visiting children.
Together, we’re creating a place where every child feels safe, seen, and inspired.
Our primary audiences are families and children, PacaSense Garden has the right balance of being Approachable (fun and friendly) and Flexible (we can include into other types of activities if you would like) Please contact us to discuss what your dream event would be, we can accommodate most requirements!
💚 Support the Project – Every donation helps us expand access, enhance the sensory features, and welcome more children who need a little extra space to shine.
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