supportive of the project. Some staff members were more accustomed to their donated money going toward a new piece of equipment or renovation of a service area. They couldn’ t see supporting“ plants and trees.”
“ When we got done, people were so amazed that I actually had calls saying,‘ I didn’ t support this, and I was wrong. This is amazing,’” Giles said.“ This so far exceeded anybody’ s expectations. It’ s a gorgeous spot, and it really is a healing spot.”
Feedback from users
Giles said the garden is being widely used for meetings, hospital receptions, lunch gatherings, or simply for personal reflection. Someday the hospital plans to hold Mass in the garden.
Marlene Luther, an administrative assistant at the hospital, eats lunch in the garden most days during the summer.
“ I think it’ s a great spot to just go have lunch, step away from the desk for a little while, and get some fresh air,” said Luther, who contributed to the garden’ s funding.“ Colleagues seem to be relaxed and calm when they’ re having lunch or taking their 15-minute breaks.” She’ s seen families and patients use the space too.
“ I just think it’ s wonderful,” she said.“ If you’ re a patient or visitor, the healing garden gives you a place to get away from the stressful situation that may be going on inside. It is truly a place for healing.”
Garden space brings renewed life to treatment facility’ s outdoor area
After Ayres Associates helped St. Joseph’ s Hospital transform its bare front lawn into a blooming healing garden, a new idea began to blossom within hospital staff. Perhaps the clients at the nearby L. E. Phillips-Libertas Treatment Center( LEP) could benefit from a healing landscape. The change of scenery might bring much-needed perspective to patients undergoing substance abuse or mental health treatment, the Colleague Task Force thought.
“ As they started talking about the garden at the hospital, what we heard was that we really need to have a garden at LEP,” said Tom Fuchs, director of the treatment center.“ We heard that not only from the LEP colleagues but also from the hospital colleagues who said,‘ You know, that’ s a place that really needs healing.’ LEP works with a lot of broken people, a lot of broken families, a lot of broken lives.”
The hospital retained Ayres Associates to design the garden at the treatment center, located in a separate facility adjacent to the hospital. The hospital’ s Development Office spearheaded a second campaign, and plans for another garden quickly took root.
Again using hospital employee input, Ayres Associates’ landscape architect Phil Johnson designed a 100-foot-wide-by-70-foot-long garden space that leads to several acres. Once a simple lawn area, it now includes a labyrinth, quarter-mile walking path, bench swing, shelter and bridge over a pond, wood fencing, disc golf course, moon gate, and more. Johnson said he considers the moon gate – a circular structure that acts as a passageway to the labyrinth, walking path, and disc golf course – to be“ unique as a focal point.”
“ We use that to kind of bring people from one space to the other,” Johnson said.
The additions replace a largely vacant outdoor break space that offered little more than a concrete picnic bench and rarely used volleyball and basketball courts. The design plans were completed in summer 2011, and construction began in 2012. Construction was largely completed in 2012, with a dedication and blessing event held on Sept. 8, 2012.
Feedback has been“ remarkable,” Fuchs said. Patients, families, and staff are using it. He has even seen outpatient counselors conduct sessions with clients while walking on the trail.“ We’ re just thrilled with it. It’ s been an inviting, welcoming addition,” he said.
“ I see what used to be one family out at a concrete picnic table really kind of in some deep emotional stress. … I now see them walking around, and their children are smelling the flowers,” he said.“ It’ s just a more engaging environment out there. It’ s not a big mud hole. It’ s a beautiful facility, and it’ s part of the facility.”
Fuchs noted that the improvements were long overdue because the exterior of the building had been unchanged since 1976.“ It makes good sense to have an exterior environment that matches your interior environment,” he said.“ If you think about recovery, it’ s about transitioning your exterior environment and reconciling that with your interior environment. It’ s about work on the inside and the outside.”
Bobbi Giles, director of development at St. Joseph’ s Hospital, said the gardens“ have been a terrific addition for both places.”
“ They have given the whole hospital a face-lift,” she said.
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