Twinings, in partnership with the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB), will bring the ultimate sensory experience to New Zealanders with their sponsorship of the 'SensibiliTea VIP Garden' (for Vision Impaired People) at this year's Ellerslie Flower Show.

A scented and tactile delight for sighted and vision-impaired people alike, the garden will feature a range of plants and flowers that vision-impaired people will be able to distinguish by scent, shape and texture, as well as sculptures, various pavings and "accessible" signage in Braille and audio.

To be lead-designed by Wellington's deafblind landscape gardener Merv Cox, the 'SensibiliTea VIP Garden' will showcase highly-scented plants, many of which feature in Twinings teas.

RNZFB and Twinings were "match-made" by Ellerslie Flower Show organisers, who knew that both organisations were keen to produce a scented garden, and that all three organisations served similar demographics.

Stephen Twining, tenth generation of the famous tea family, said Twinings is delighted to sponsor the 'SensibiliTea VIP Garden' and hopes it will raise awareness of the enjoyment that gardening can bring to those suffering from vision impairment.

"We can't think of a more natural partnership than this one with the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind. A lot of sighted and vision-impaired people find working in the garden very therapeutic and a great way to unwind and de-stress. These benefits are strongly aligned with tea drinkers, as tea is renowned for its ability to provide comfort, relaxation and assurance. Twinings involvement with the 'SensibiliTea VIP Garden, the RNZFB and the Ellerslie Flower Show reinforces this connection," Mr Twining said.

RNZFB CEO Paula Daye agreed, saying, "We want the SensibiliTea VIP garden to be a sensory delight and to encourage people to keep their green fingers active. You don't have to give up gardening when you lose your sight – you just have to do it differently. Merv Cox is perfect for this project because he's deafblind and a successful landscape gardener. He epitomises what can be achieved when given the right support and a fair go."

Merv was born deaf and his vision began to deteriorate in his teens. He has reasonable hearing thanks to hearing aides. His vision is "limited to seeing what's at the end of a tunnel with no peripheral vision at all. Some days it can be a bit hazy, but other days it's clearer. However I can feel and sense when things are not right. I can still tell if a line is straight."

Merv was ready to "give it away" in 2001 due to his disability, but he joined the RNZFB and received the support he needed to remain in the workforce.

Whilst the 'SensibiliTea VIP Garden' is Merv's first involvement with Ellerslie Flower Show, he has transformed many of his clients' gardens in the Wellington region, with the help of his wife Cheryl.

"Cheryl helps me by describing sites, problems and the overall job layout. I then advise how we can carry out the tasks. I use special equipment like a CCTV, a talking tape measure, a laser level that automatically levels itself and gives sound indications and a normal level with large digital numbers that I can read," says Merv.

The 'SensibiliTea VIP Garden' will be exhibited at this year's Ellerslie Flower Show, which opens on 16 November at Auckland Regional Botanic Gardens.

The RNZFB is the primary service provider for approximately 11,500 blind, deafblind and vision-impaired people.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Angela Hone at Goode PR on (09) 480 9948 or 021 622 140 angela@goodepr.co.nz
Bill Moore at the RNZFB on (09) 355 6867 or 0275 508 061 bmoore