Gardens bring smiles to Hospice
As any gardener can attest, a garden is a very special place that appeals to us on many levels.
In “Creating a Garden for the Senses” (Abbeville Press, 1993), author Jeff Cox writes: “No place on earth is more sensuous than a garden. In its sights, sounds, tastes, touches and smells, we find home and heart and love.”
This sums up the purpose of the gardens that surround Spokane’s Hospice House. Located at Seventh Avenue and Chandler Street, Hospice House opened in November 2007 to provide care and support for terminally ill patients and their families.
Landscape designer Anne Hanenburg, of Sherry Pratt Van Voorhis Landscape Architects, put a lot of thought into creating a landscape that would seamlessly blend with the building. She felt that at this most difficult time in a resident’s life, they should have a sense of control and a sense of privacy.
“Hospice House has three main gardens,” Hanenburg says. “There is the Garden of Meditation, the Garden of Hope and the Reflection Garden.
“Even though we used different materials for each garden, and there’s a different degree of intimacy in each one, they all work together.”
Hanenburg says she selected plants that residents could relate to: “My goal was to incorporate fragrance, texture, color, structure and year-round interest so there’s always something for them to look at.”
The Garden of Hope is very calm and still.
“It has a water feature that represents the passage of birth to death,” Hanenburg explains. “I tried to camouflage the freeway noise as much as possible and the sound of wind going through the aspen leaves is very nice.”
The Reflection Garden has a Zen-type feel that can be appreciated both indoors and out.
Inside Hospice House, the Reflection Room has a large picture window that frames the view of this garden. Large rocks and a cantilevered ledge give the impression of a dry creek bed running underneath the building.
On the south side of Hospice House, the Garden of Meditation blends the residents’ rooms with the outdoors.
“I’ve put vines in between each individual patio, and we will be adding trellises so families can come out onto these patios and have some privacy,” Hanenburg says.
She wanted to use plants that would trigger special memories for the residents. Plant materials she selected include Red Maples, Liquidambar, Weeping Hemlocks and other conifers, PJM rhododendrons, Willows, Burning Bushes, False Cypress, Aspens, roses and daylilies.
“We have very little grass but we knew there would be grandchildren coming to see their grandma or grandpa so we wanted to have an area for them to play on,” Hanenburg says. “We wanted people of all ages to be comfortable and feel welcome here.”
Earlier this year, a small vegetable garden was established with a grant from the Associated Garden Clubs of Spokane.
Head chef Cheryl Reynolds, who is an avid gardener, took on the responsibility of planting and maintaining the garden. She uses the fresh produce in the meals she prepares for the residents and their families.
Hanenburg is pleased with the way the landscape has turned out.
“I’ve read about the therapeutic aspect of gardens,” she says. “To actually build one and hear positive comments from the residents and family members gives me goose bumps.
“I see them out in the gardens so I know the gardens have achieved what I set out to do. This has been a wonderful opportunity to give back to others.”