A Tour Of The Sensory Garden And Tea Farm In Tigoni Limuru

This article is intended for tour companies, foreign and domestic tourists, college students, and couples planning a day trip to the Sensory Garden and Tea Farm in Tigoni, Limuru.

The Sensory Garden at Gathoni Tea Farm is the first in Kenya and East Africa. Gathoni Tea Farm is located along Limuru Road, less than 1 km from St. Paul’s University’s main gate. Gathoni Tea Farm is a haven of peace, aroma, and flavour. Gathoni Farm is popularly known for hosting both Naishola and Naiposha Gardens.

A sensory garden stimulates and engages the five basic senses of sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste. This type of garden not only allows you to connect to nature but also encourages you to become more aware of your surroundings and your response to them, tapping into the principles of mindfulness. Spending time in a sensory garden can help enhance your well-being, reduce stress, and calm your mind. The tea farm tours have become a favourite pastime for families, couples, groups of friends, and schools.

Sensory Garden and Tea Farm Tour Experience

The Gathoni Sensory Garden and Tea Farm Tour is about learning the art of tea picking step by step and touring the sensory garden, which has over 12 different herb species.

Sensory Garden and Tea Farm Tour Highlights

Tea Farm Tour
Tea Harvesting
Making Orthodox Tea
Scented Garden Tour
Making a scented bag
Herbal Tea Tasting
Composition and Recycling
Plant Nursery
Hike to Naiposha Gardens
Picnic (bring your food and drinks)

1. Composition and Recycling

At Naishola Garden, David Wafula, the farm manager who oversees the operations of the expansive 120-acre tea farm, which was established just three years ago, takes guests through the farming process. They will begin by mixing sand and compost made from organic matter from the gardens, and they will learn that equal parts of this mixture improve air circulation and are excellent for drainage and moisture retention.

Guests will then pot the mixture and plant a stem of an herb or flower, which they will leave in the control room for maturation.

2. Plant Nursery

Guests will proceed to the tea greenhouse, which is used to improve the growth environment for tea plants in Gathoni Farm. The greenhouse ensures that tea plants receive the optimal levels of light, heat and water needed for flourishing before being transplanted into the field.

3. Tea Farm Tour

Guests will carry their baskets, learn about Kenyan tea, and then practically harvest tea the traditional Kenyan way, using tea baskets to handpick the tender new growth. Taking “two leaves and a bud,” they will toss them into their tea baskets, like tea pluckers. There is also the watching of the skilled tea pickers in action. As a guest, one can try their hand at plucking the tender tea leaves before quickly realising the precision required to this delicate task.

The timing, method, and specific leaves used, all of which affect the quality of the final brew, are what appeal to tourists, the majority of whom do not have tea farms back home.

4. Tea Harvesting

The guests then proceed to sort the tea. They are taken through the various tea grades. The CTC (cut, tear, crush) process will be explained in detail, including how long tea and black tea are obtained, as well as how white tea is produced through withering.

5. Scented Garden Tour

Guests will engage their five human senses of sight (our eyes), hearing (our ears), smelling (our nose), taste (our tongue) and touch (our fingers) through a diverse immersive experience with over 10 organically planted herbs and flowers in the Sensory Garden. The garden has been designed around aromatic portions made of:

Lavender
Rosemary
Lemon Verbena
Lemon Grass
Orange Mint
Common Thyme
Lemon Thyme
Pineapple Sage

6. Making a Scented Bag

Guests are then handed scented bags and instructed to be mindful as they explore the garden and select the herbs and flowers they want to include in their bags.

Scented bags, also known as herbal sachets, are filled with aromatic herbs and flowers and have not only stood the test of time but have also provided a wealth of benefits for those who incorporate them into their lives. These decorative bags have found their place in closets, drawers, and wardrobes. By doing so, they protect clothing, linens, and personal items from musty odours and pesky insects.

Certain herbs, like lavender, have been known to aid sleep and improve concentration. Placing a sachet under your pillow or near your workspace can have a positive impact on your daily life. Guests are allowed to create their own scented bags from their favourite herbs and flowers. Once done, guests will sniff, squeeze, and seal the bags, which they will take home with them.

7. Herbal Tea Tasting

After strolling through the lovely gardens surrounding the main house, guests are then treated to an expansive tea tasting of all the delicious herbal variants made at Gathoni Tea Farm Kitchen, including their luxurious tea line. The tea is all freshly made and prepared, farm-to-table style. The tea is served with homemade biscuits. The different teas for tasting include;

Lavender tea
Lemon grass
Rosemary tea
Sage tea
Mint tea
Pinneaple Sage tea
Lemon Verbena tea
Lemon balm tea

8. Hike to Naiposha Gardens

Naiposha and Naishola are located within the Gathoni tea farm and are 1km apart. Naiposha Gardens is an enchanting, serene, private, and spacious venue with a great view of Lake Tigoni. Naiposha and Naishola are located within the tea farm and are 1km apart. Naiposha is by the lake, and Naishola is higher up and enclosed by tall trees (shade).

Naiposha Gardens beckons visitors with its aura of enchantment and serenity. As guests step onto its sprawling grounds, they are immediately enveloped in the soothing embrace of nature. The mesmerising views of Lake Tigoni provide a captivating backdrop for any occasion.

9. Picnic at Naishola Gardens

Nestled amidst the undulating contours of Limuru, where velvety hills sweep and embrace the horizon, Naishola Gardens stands as an enchanting sanctuary, defying the relentless hustle and bustle of the urban sprawl.

Naishola Gardens, a sister garden, has carpet-like grass and mature trees that make you feel like removing your shoes and walking barefoot. The air is fresh. There is a tea farm next to a gate, adding to the greenery, and an English-style colonial house, part of an investment cultivated over the years.

Guests are urged to bring snacks or lunch for a picnic on the grounds following the tour. Also, the farm can arrange food at a separate cost. Then, spend the afternoon outside in the sun, surrounded by fresh air, friends, delicious food, drinks, and laughter. Remember to pack snacks, drinks, picnic blankets, pillows, chairs, and umbrellas. Guests are then free to leave at their leisure.

What to pack to Naishola Garden Picnic

Comfortable walking shoes
Sunscreen and a hat
Camera or smartphone for capturing memories
An appetite for adventure and a love for tea

Gathoni Sensory Garden & Tea Farm Tour Cost

The cost of the Gathoni Tea Farm and Sensory Garden tour is Ksh 1,800 per person for residents and $20 for non-residents.

Kids Tours are also available for Ksh 600 per kid.

Tours are available from Wednesdays to Saturdays (10 am -12 pm) every week.
Gathoni Farm also offers customised tours for large groups and can provide lunch in their gardens for an additional fee.