How sensory is your garden?

“When we were thinking about putting these gardens in for the public to enjoy, we wanted to be sure the whole public was included,’’ explained Thom Roach, spokesman for the Gore Place Society. “If low-sighted or blind visitors can’t experience the visual aspect the garden, we wanted them to be able to explore the aromatic and the textural part.’’

The new gardens consist of two groups of raised beds. Near the estate’s cottage, contemporary plants are cultivated. By the carriage house, early 19th-century varieties of vegetables and herbs are grown.

Both sections offer multisensory experiences, with visitors invited to gently touch some plants, lean in for a sniff, and respectfully pluck an occasional aromatic leaf to rub under one’s nose.

“We have a lot of visitors and they are often curious about the plants we grow, and I’ve noticed that people, and especially kids, are really curious about plants that have great texture and fragrance,’’ said Gore Place’s buildings and grounds director, Scott Clarke, who designed the gardens. “So we wanted to be sure to grow plants people can touch and smell.’’

Amid showy plants like deep burgundy hollyhocks and purple hyacinth beans, tufts of aromatics like lavender, wormwood, tansy, and chives grow.

Other plants, like velvety lambs ears, are interspersed to add texture. The gardens are small (and the newer beds are still growing in), but the 43-acre estate offers plenty to do.

Visitors can tour the mansion, explore or picnic on the 43-acre grounds, and visit the farm’s sheep, goats, and chickens. Summer concerts are returning next week to the carriage house and mansion.

On Wednesday, the five-part weekly series kicks off with the Fanfare Brass Quintet performing baroque, classical, Dixieland, and show tunes. Also coming up are the Backbay Guitar Trio (July 7), HuDost Duo (July 14), gypsy jazz by Sinti Rhythms (July 21), and folk singer Bill Staines (July 28).

Gore Place 52 Gore St., Waltham. Grounds open dawn to dusk, admission free. Mansion tours: Monday-Friday 1 p.m., and Saturdays noon, 1, and 2 p.m.; $10 adults, $5 for ages 5-12. Concerts start at 7:30 p.m.; tickets $12-$15, members $8-$10. 781-894-2798, www.goreplace.org.

JAZZY START TO SUMMER: Jazz is the go-to favorite to open a number of concert series this summer, be it Dixieland, swing, or brassy pop. So cool off with hot jazz at these free concerts, and if you prefer, say, Celtic-country-reggae or Latin fusion, take your pick of musical styles in later installments of the series.

In Marlborough, the Arts Alliance’s Saturday Morning Discovery Series returns to Union Common with its family-friendly mix of live music, stories, puppetry, dance, and magic. First up on Saturday at 11 a.m., the Nobscott Brass Quintet plays traditional jazz.

In Milford, the Family Night at the Bandstand series starts Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. with jazz trumpeter Jerry Seeco performing with the Seeco Seven. Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra organizes this weekly series with support from area businesses.

Tuesday is also the night for Ashland’s Concerts at Stone Park, where the New Magnolia Jazz Band serves up some spirited New Orleans jazz at 7 p.m. to launch the series. Then in Belmont on Wednesday at 6:45 p.m., the Riverside Swing Band plays the season opener for the weekly Payson Park Music Festival.

So dust off those lawn chairs, pack a picnic, and go, cool cat, go.

Ashland Concerts at Stone Park, 7 or 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, 81 Summer St. No rain dates. 6/29: 7 p.m. New Magnolia Jazz Band (New Orleans jazz). 7/6: no concert. 7/13: 7 p.m. Boogie Woogie Band. 7/20: 7 p.m. Hard Case (’60s). 7/27: 7 p.m. Railroad House (bluegrass). 8/3: 6:30 p.m. Ashland High School Summer Band. 8/10: 6:30 p.m. Mason Tyler Trio (classic rock). 8/17: 6:30 p.m. Songs for Ceilidh (Celtic). 8/24: 6:30 p.m. Buck Naykid Band (60s-90s hits). Weather cancellation updates day of concert at 508-881-1212 ( Police Department business line). www.ashlandmass.com

. Belmont: Payson Park Music Festival 6:45 p.m. Wednesdays through Aug. 4, then 6:15-6:30 p.m. start times, 260 Payson Road. No rain dates. 6/30: Riverside Swing Band. 7/7: Tom Nutile Big Band. 7/14: Rock City Band. 7/21: Incendio Latin Fusion (rain site: Guido’s restaurant). 7/28: Joshua Tree. 8/4: Mark Rogers Swing Band. 8/11: Be-Bop Guitars with Maggi Smith. 8/18: ’60s Invasion. 8/25: to be decided . www.ppmf.org. Marlborough: Saturday Morning Discovery Series 11 a.m., Union Common, at Main and Bolton streets. Rain location: Bigelow School, 57 Orchard St. 6/26: Nobscott Brass Quintet (jazz). 7/3: Patriot Fife and Drum Duo ( Colonial music by musicians in period dress). 7/10: Dennis Caraher (children’s music). 7/17: Yiddishkeit Klezmer. 7/24: Caravan Puppets. 7/31: John Porcino (music and stories). 8/7: Magic by Scott Jameson. 8/14: David Polansky (humorous children’s music). 8/21 Pan Loco (steel drums). 978-562-1646, www.upwitharts.org.

Milford: Family Night at the Bandstand, Town Park, Congress and Walnut streets. 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Rain dates the following Thursday. 6/29: Jerry Seeco Seven. 7/6: Rising Tribe (Celtic-country-reggae). 7/13: Swing Night with the Fantasy Big Band. 7/20: Don Iacovelli and 8 Misbehavin’. 7/27: Little Mahrud (jazz). 8/3: The Claflin Hill Symphony Summer Winds (pops concert). 8/10: John Burrows & the Cocabanana Band. 8/17: HELP! (Beatles). 508-478-5924, www.claflinhill.org.

We want to hear about your upcoming events. Please contact westarts@globe.com.