Building Another Memorial Garden

Wiese Acres Nostalgia Garden

Easter was a wonderful day for us.  We spent the day with family and after a wonderful brunch, used the  afternoon to work on the design of a memorial garden to be built at the nursing home where my mother spent the last two years of her life.  That home has many residents who lived their lives working the soil; raising grains, food, and beautiful flowers.  The care center garden became our vision when we were discussing distribution of Mom's memorial money.  After designating some dollars for a start to the garden, we met with the care center's Foundation Board of Directors to present our vision.  They quickly embraced it and began the process of raising money to complete the project. 

Members of our family have been involved in the process from the beginning, with my sister and brother-in-law who live close by the care center taking the lead with the care center's management and Board.  My nephew, who is a professional landscaper, and I have been refining the original space designs and deciding on plant materials to recommend.  Others have been involved in making final decisions and in providing the funding needed for our family's part of the garden

As a family, we have decided to take full responsibility for financing, designing and building a small portion of the garden, to showcase a water feature using a native granite rock.  It will be located in a private, shady area where residents and families can sit to visit, with the sound of moving water to soothe them.    This area is in an alcove that will also be visible to the residents from two of the dining rooms of the care center, so even those who aren't able to be outside will be able to enjoy the view.   There will be old-fashioned bleeding hearts planted there, since that was one of the plants that Mom really loved to see blooming in her garden.  One of my fondest memories is of watching the huge "harvest moon" rising above the massive cottonwood and box elder trees on the farm while standing outside with Dad after a long day of harvesting wheat or oats, so the hosta "August Moon" will be incorporated into the planting design of that area.  We will honor Mom and Dad with a plaque built into that garden area's design.

In addition, there will be a gazebo that can be used for outdoor meals and other activities with residents and families.  Raised beds will be built on wheels to allow them to be moved to the best sun locations at different times of the growing season and the care center's activities department plans to use those to plant lettuce, radishes, and other suitable vegetables that residents can assist with from planting through harvesting.  There will be two theme gardens, one designed around men's interests, where we are hoping to find a small, antique plow to use as a centerpiece.  The other will be designed around women's interests and will incorporate items that were used by the women in their various activities in their homes and on the farms.  

We will use low maintenance shrubs such as spirea and ninebark.  Perennial plantings will also be low-maintenance plants, that will be familiar to most of the gardeners who see them.  We plan to incorporate ornamental grasses in areas to give the feeling of the flowing prairies that are such a part of our North Dakota heritage.  All the gardens will be visible and accessible to wheelchair bound residents.

Our little vision has grown into a community project that will benefit the folks who live at the care center and the family members who come to visit them.   Construction is slated to begin in June, and we are so excited to see that happen.