may 2008 newsletter - healthcare and therapeutic design professional practice network

8/4/2019 May 2008 Newsletter - Healthcare and Therapeutic Design Professional Practice Network

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636 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001-3736

202-898-2444 www.asla.org

2007 ASLA STUDENT AWARDS: COMMUNITY SERVICE

HONOR AWARD

Safe Passage Entry Garden, Guatemala City

(http://asla.org/awards/2007/studentawards/217.html)

University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

Faculty Advisor Daniel Winterbottom, ASLA

Healthcare and Therapeutic Design Professional Practice Network

May 2008

Healthcare and Therapeutic

Design PPN

Marguerite Koepke, ASLA, Chair

[email protected]

Angela Pappas, Associate ASLA,Future [email protected]

Contents Letter from the Chair

Letter from the Chair..........................1

The DreamTree Project .....................2

HTD PPN Field Session ....................3

Comfort Garden .................................6

Book Review......................................8

A Garden That Makes Scents ............9

Fireghters Tree..............................10

Appreciation: Jean StephensKavanaugh, FASLA .........................12

Dear Members,

As days are growing longer and harbingers of spring slowly emerge,winters end is on everyones mind, especially this year after a very long

season of ice and snow for many across the US. The arrival of spring iswonderfully exciting no matter the region, and for many of us ignites theinsatiable urge to dig, plant, and tidy up the garden. The very sight of thenew green shoots renews and invigorates. I hope that everyone has anopportunity to look in on their favorite little plot to see whats waking up!

With the passing of winter, it is time to take note of the enormous amountof work that our PPN members have accomplished over the winter.

First, heres the spring 2008 newsletter! We thank all of our contributorsfor sharing their work, and extend special thanks to our member/editorSally Shute, Associate ASLA, for sharing her time and expertise. Wehope that our members nd the articles informative, interesting and in

keeping with the energy and spirit of this group!

The Therapeutic Landscape Research Initiative (TLRI) database is nowavailable online. The HTD PPN was the rst to receive a grant from ASLAs

PPN Initiative Program. The TLRI grant was awarded to support thedevelopment of an accessible compendium of current research on the topic

of therapeutic landscape and garden design and begins to accomplish theearlier goal to provide research that validate(s) intuition and motivate(s)policy change. The database currently contains over 100 entries includingthe sources and abstracts. The project extends into late next fall and theplan is to maintain this resource indenitely, adding new materials as they

emerge. We thank Susan Erickson, ASLA, and her Iowa State Universitystudents for this ne work.
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2 May 2008Healthcare and Therapeutic Design PPN

The eCommunity has been launched. Naomi Sachs,ASLA (past chair) and Angela Pappas, ASLA,(future chair) have been instrumental in launching andmonitoring our new eCommunity. The eCommunity iswonderful new tool and has great potential to becomean online meeting place for members and a place toask questions and/or generate discussions. In part,this tool helps reduce the frequency of postings to thePPNs listserv, saving time and unnecessary overloading

of members email boxes. ASLA staff member Kasha

Helget is sending out brief notices to alert members ofnew postings. If you have any questions or have haddifculties accessing the eCommunity please feel free to

contact ASLA for assistance.

We are also pleased to report that members of ourgroup continue to work with several ongoing initiativesincluding:

veterans affairs projects, another PPN Landscape Initiatives Grant is in theworks, centered on forging new interdisciplinaryrelationships,the development of a comprehensive list of coursesand programs offered in therapeutic garden design,andbroadening our reach into the internationalcommunity of design and scholarship.

So, opportunities for involvement abound!

It is indeed an exciting time for our group. We havegrown to over 300 members and continue to grow in

numbers, ideas and purpose. As we move through 2008,we encourage your involvement and ask that you shareyour thoughts and ideas. If you would like to be involvedin any of the ongoing work mentioned or have ideasfor new projects, initiative or articles please feel free tocontact me.

Be on the lookout for signs of spring!

Warmest regards,Marguerite

Marguerite Koepke, ASLA, is Professor

Emerita at the University of Georgia.She is currently an adjunct faculty

member in the Institute of Higher

Education at the University of Georgia

where she directs the Governors

Teaching Fellows. She can be

reached at:[email protected].

The New Landscape at the DreamTreeProject: A Garden of Healing and Unity

by Ed Fenzl, ASLA

The DreamTree Project (DreamTree) is a restorativeinitiative of care for at-risk and homeless youth aged16-24 in a Transitional Living Program in Taos, NewMexico. It offers integrative services within a home-likeenvironment where living and relationship skills arepracticed.

The DreamTree residential center originally providedhousing and support for eight youths in transition. Thesite is currently undergoing a major renovation. When

completed, it will have ve new casitas (small houses)and a common room. This will allow the center to acceptan additional eight residents.

In Spring 2006, I offered pro bono landscape designservices to renovate the garden to complement thepositive, secure, and nurturing environment created inthe indoor spaces.

The landscape master plan has ve garden areas:

frontage entry, front left food growing garden, courtyardbehind primary facility, courtyard in front of ve new

casitas, and side yard/perimeter landscape.

The frontage entry garden was the recipient of a $1600grant from the local Los Jardineros Garden Club inAugust of 2007. It is intended to serve as a welcome forresidents, staff, visitors, and guests, and to contribute tothe home-like environment at DreamTree. It will providesome shade for parking and will serve as a transition

2007-08 Healthcare and Therapeutic Design

PPN Ofcers

ChairMarguerite Koepke, ASLA, Professor EmeritusChair-ElectAngela Pappas, ASLA

Past ChairNaomi A. Sachs, ASLAEvents Co-ChairsP. Annie Kirk, ASLA, and JackCarman, FASLASenior AdvisorMark Epstein, ASLANewsletter EditorSally Shute, Associate ASLAWeb SiteAngela Pappas, ASLA, and Naomi A. Sachs,ASLA

Photo Courtesy UGA

Photographic Services
http://www.uga.edu/sed/people/faculty/koepke.htmmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.uga.edu/sed/people/faculty/koepke.htm


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3Healthcare and Therapeutic Design PPNMay 2008

between the street and the studios, and provide a highlyvisible entry statement.

The courtyard in front of the new casitas received adonation of 12 vertical pole timbers for the constructionof the newly designed pergola. The general contractoralso provided the permanent infrastructure for rainwatercatchment and a drip irrigation mainline.

The completed landscape will provide a beautiful space

and will align the outdoor environment of DreamTreewith its organizational values of sustainability and lowimpact. In partnership with the Taos Native Plant Society,plants that are chosen will be native and regionallyappropriate. The landscape will be low maintenance,require low water use and be energy efcient. In

Image Courtesy Ed Fenzl

Image Courtesy Ed Fenzl

addition, application has been made to the US GreenBuilding Council to certify the recently constructedcasitas under the LEED (Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design) program. DreamTree would bethe rst treatment center in New Mexico to receive this

certication.

It is hoped that the landscape project will be a powerfuleducational tool for DreamTree residents who maybe required to contribute community service hours orparticipate in service learning projects.

Ed Fenzl, ASLA, is a freelance landscape designer in

Taos, New Mexico. He can be contacted atarseco-150-

[email protected].

Healthcare and Therapeutic Garden DesignPPN Field SessionASLA Annual Meeting 2007, San Francisco,California

by Sally Shute, Associate ASLA

Part 1: Interview with P. Annie Kirk, ASLA, and Jack

Carman, FASLA

For the 2007 ASLA national meeting, the Healthcareand Therapeutic Garden Design PPN sponsored atherapeutic garden eld session (tour). The tour

included The Sequoias Life Care Community as anexample of continuity of care throughout ones life (see

http://www.ncphs.org/life_care/san_francisco/index.php); and several gardens at San Francisco GeneralHospital, including the Comfort Garden, Avon BreastHealth Center, and the Psychiatric Services ward (http://www.ucsfhealth.org/ ). The tour sites were arranged byP. Annie Kirk, ASLA, and Jack Carman,FASLA. Wethought it would be helpful to describe the decision-making process for selecting tour sites as well as theimportance of feedback from PPN members regardingthe success of these sites in meeting criteria that weperceive as therapeutic.

Shute: You have organized several tours now. What doyou believe is the value of the tours to the PPN?

Kirk:There are a number of values that the tours provide.
mailto://[email protected]://[email protected]://www.ncphs.org/life_care/san_francisco/index.phphttp://www.ncphs.org/life_care/san_francisco/index.phphttp://www.ucsfhealth.org/http://www.ucsfhealth.org/http://www.ucsfhealth.org/http://www.ucsfhealth.org/http://www.ncphs.org/life_care/san_francisco/index.phphttp://www.ncphs.org/life_care/san_francisco/index.phpmailto://[email protected]://[email protected]


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First, they provide a forum for our PPN members toshare their perspectives and experiences throughreviewing regional examples of healthcare andtherapeutic gardens. Second, they further ASLAs

understanding, appreciation, and support for ourparticular specialty. And nally, our contacting of

various facilities to coordinate the tour awakens theadministrations interest in what is often the good work of

a sole Horticultural/Occupational/Recreational therapist.In sum, we can all do better through careful and constantexamination.

Carman:The tours are something that the members haveexpressed over and over that they nd most interesting

and educational to them and for their practice. The toursare a way to bring people together who share a commoninterest and to be able to collectively discuss the various

aspects of the gardens they are visiting.

Shute:What are the criteria for selecting the tour sites?

Kirk:Site selection is a multi-faceted process that starts withreferrals, research, and networking with others thathave visited the sites or know of them. Jack and/or I visitselected sites the year prior to the annual meeting andevaluate the following: 1) the value of the site pairedwith the contribution of staff; 2) what lessons mightbe learned both on the micro and macro level; and 3)

how such an event will complement the larger annualmeeting, and how we coordinate with the local ASLAchapter.

Carman:Annie has expressed it well. One other considerationis luck. We try to nd sites that we know exhibit the

characteristics of therapeutic gardens. This is not alwaysthat easy, as some cities do not have a wide range ofexamples from which to choose. We have a good idea ofwhat the PPN members expect and try to nd a range of

garden types to satisfy most everyones interests.

Shute:What attracted you to these sites in the San FranciscoBay Area?

Kirk:First, given the constraints placed by ASLA, we knew

that we had to nd sites within a ve mile radius from the

convention center. This narrowed the eld immediately,

particularly with several gardens in the Bay Area toexplore. Second, we considered the commitment andgood work done by the staff at each of the facilitiesand the diverse user demographicsculture, use, staffsupport, income, location within the larger landscapeof the city, etc.as key to the sites we chose. Thedifference in infrastructure was also a factor. Forinstance, all gardens at the Sequoias are on roof decksas well as three of the ve at San Francisco General

Hospital. This technically affords learning in its own right.Both sites were very welcoming of our visit, which helpstremendously. Both sites had a pre-existing appreciationfor the value of nature within their facilities.

Carman:The rst site that we visited was the Sequoias Life Care

Retirement Community that had a roof top containergarden. We were fortunate to have Robert La Rocca, thelandscape architect who originally designed the project,walk us through the garden and explain the criteriafor and design of the gardens. The second site, SanFrancisco General Hospital, offered a range of gardentypes and, again, we were fortunate to be able to talkwith the designersJoan Varney and her maintenancestaff in the Comfort Garden, and our colleague, TopherDelaney, in the Avon Garden. The sites were very rich ineducational opportunities that we knew the participantswould appreciate seeing.

San Francisco General Hospital Comfort Garden.

Photo Courtesy Sally Shute


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As a means to generate further discussion amongst

the PPN members, please nd the following

reections from Annie Kirk, provided following the

October 2007 event:

At the end the day, no matter the appearance ofcapital invested in a garden, I take pause of use asa determinant in whether a garden is successful, interms of healing or therapeutic benet. We heard

feedback that the Sequoias, although lovely with obviouslarge capital investments, didnt appear to be used.

I wondered what kind of use attendees meant. Daily?

Active? Programmed? Passive? Viewing? Immersed?

As we review sites, it appears that appropriateand applicable use needs to be dened. What

are evaluators expecting the use to be in a gardenversus the goals for the facility and the tolerancesand preferences of the specic resident culture

and population? With the Sequoias, one might ask,What type of use did the Administration determine

was desirable as a result of the establishment of theextensive garden areas? Many attendees remarked that

the only areas at the Sequoias that were being usedwere the raised plantersthat this area appeared tobe the only therapeutic aspect of the site. Interesting

are two things: 1) During our tour of the facility on an

average day in November 2006, Jack and I noted all thegarden areas a-urry with userswalking, socializing,

playing cards, etc.; and 2) I noted that, as soon asour tour group proceeded out, many residents left thegardens on both levels. I take pause that perhaps ourlarge tour group presence deterred typical use that day.

Shute:What do you two have planned for the 2008 ASLAAnnual Meeting in Philadelphia?

Kirk/Carman:As in the past, we have been working with the localASLA chapters to organize a eld session/tour entitled:

Therapeutic Gardens Tour of Delaware Valley. We lookforward to highlighting the good work of such sites asMedford Leas Continue Care Retirement Community inMedford, NJ; Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, PA;and Magee Rehabilitation Center in Philadelphia, PA.More details to come!

Part II Interview: Can We Get Other Tour Members

Reactions to the SF Tours?

Tour members in San Francisco had lively discussionsboth on the tour buses and in small informal groups

while touring and at lunch. For our next newsletter thisyear, we would like to highlight their responses to thequestions listed below. Please email [email protected] if you would like to contribute to the discussion(please include PPN in subject line).

Please respond to any of the following questions forwhich you feel strongly. Also, please address any issuenot included below:

1. What specically made these sites therapeutic or

healing to you?2. Which elements of specic sites may have been non-

therapeutic?3. It may seem obvious to some, but why include somany staff as discussants?4. What were highlights for you?5. What was the most signicant take home lesson for

you?6. What was the most rewarding part of the day?7. What do you consider the greatest accomplishmentfrom the tour?8 What was the most challenging or controversialelement for attendees and hosts?9. For those of you familiar with the San Francisco BayArea, which other sites would you have recommended

for our tours and why?10. What value did you get from Topher Delaneys

participation in the tour, as well as the controversy shegenerated about the promotion of therapeutic gardendesign?

Sequoias Life Care Retirement Community. Photo Courtesty P. Annie Kirk
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Additionally, the question of use brings up the long-haddiscussion/debate on a denition of therapeutic. Based

on comments made during the tour, it was suggestedthat, because the use in the garden areas other than theraised planters is passive and residents do not dig in

the dirt, cultivate, or harvest, in other garden areas,

these other garden areas are not therapeutic? What of

the social interaction that occurs in these areas? Whatof the physical exercise that occurs in these areas?These are instigative questions, as the Comfort Gardenis a place noted primarily for solace, social interaction,talk therapy, and physical exercise, not unlike mostof the gardens at the Sequoias. Yet, the ComfortGarden received potentially greater preference by tourattendees. Why? What were attendees looking for that

goes unmentioned when discerning the therapeuticvalue of one garden over another? What makes onemore preferable than the other? Is it an intuitive rating

we give? Is it our own predisposition? Do we move tooquickly to compare two sites without examining context,population, administration?

What would be the outcome if Ulrichs supportive

garden theory criteria or Cooper Marcuss POE criteria

was used to rate these two spaces independently?What makes one seem more therapeutic than another,

beyond these evaluation tools?

All in all, what makes these good gardens to tour is that,ultimately, we challenge some perceptions, we rattlesome cages, and we spark discussionall to further

discern what we as a collective advocacy group describeas therapeutic garden design. There is obviously

something explicit in our discussion, yet I ask, what is itthat we are trying to get to? And how do we express thisamong our colleagues and beyond in order to further thegood work we know needs to be done?

Sally Shute, Associate ASLA, is the Principal at SAS

Enterprises, and can be reached at: sashute@astound.

net. P. Annie Kirk, ASLA, is the Founder and Director of

Acer Institute, LLC, and is Principal of Red Bird Design,

a residential design division of Acer. She can be reached

at:[email protected]. Jack Carman, FASLA is

President of Design for Generations, LLC and can bereached at:[email protected].

As part of the tour of San Francisco General Hospitals Comfor

Garden during the ASLA annual meeting, Chaplain Elizabeth

Welch provided attendees with her thoughts of the value of

the garden. Below she offers her reections on the healing

aspects and unique uses of the green spaces at SFGHfor

staff, families, patients and neighbors. Her thoughts that day

demonstrate and validate the universal truths about nature andhealingour profound, at times unspoken, yet palpable need

for nature in health care spaces. -- P. Annie Kirk.

Comfort GardenChaplains Address10-07

by Elizabeth Welch

Multi-Faith Chaplaincy is a non-prot organization. Our

mission is to provide spiritual care for the San FranciscoGeneral Hospital communitypatients, their loved ones,and the staff. I am here today to offer a few remarks

about the importance of the SFGH Comfort Garden (andall the gardens and green space here) to the work ofspiritual care. I would like to begin and end with shortpoems, both by Nancy Wood:

You shall askWhat good are dead leavesAnd I will tell youThey nourish the sore earth.You shall askWhat reason is there for winterAnd I will tell youTo bring about new leaves.

You shall askWhy are the leaves so greenAnd I will tell youBecause they are rich with life.You shall askWhy must summer endAnd I will tell youSo that the leaves can die.Nancy Wood

Since the time that I started working here one year ago,the Comfort Garden has frequently been blocked off dueto construction. This has made me aware of what it is to

not have this space available. And I am so grateful forit now. Much of what I do is to train volunteer chaplainsand interns, and I bring them to the Comfort Gardenon their rst day. I tell them this is the most important

place at the hospital for you to know about; this is theplace of renewal. This is where you come after those
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difcult visits. This is where you come at the end of that

challenging day. This is where you come after witnessingall that suffering and pain. Come here to the ComfortGarden to let it go and renew your spirit.

Since the time the Comfort Garden was developed,

the chaplaincy has used the space in a number ofways. Yearly remembrance services have been held tocommemorate losses of staff and patients and to supportthe grief process of patients, their loved ones, and staff.These services included creating name tags to identifyplants. They were intended to be impermanent asymbol of our impermanence, and how the earth cradlesus in death as in life. The services in this garden were

crucial to this hospital community during the time thatso many people were dying of AIDS. They helped thiscommunity walk through the grief.

Various spiritual rituals have been observed in thisspace, rituals of connecting to the four directions, thefour elements, and the change of seasons, all of whichhave signicant meanings in various spiritual traditions.

Just this past week, a Wiccan priestess, an expert inearth-based spiritual traditions, presented a ceremonyto our volunteer chaplains. We came to the ComfortGarden and joined in a ritual of celebrating the blessings

of the earth.

Chaplains are always advocates for those things thatsupport our wholeness as human beings. We recognizeconnection to the earth and connection to nature ascrucial to healing. I often direct family members, patients,

and staff herethis space is important for the wholehospital community.

We are a multi-faith chaplaincywe support the faith,beliefs and values of those we work with, and indeed,we work with people of all different faiths. Amidst all of

that difference, all of that diversity, nature is a point ofconnection and a pathway to peace and healingstableyet constantly changing, mirroring the circle of birth anddeath, and the transformation of suffering into joy.

All spiritual traditions emphasize the importance ofnature, the earth, and of all growing things. Connectionwith the earth is healing. Gardensthe presence ofgrowing thingsreminds us both of how small we areand yet how connected we are to the earth and oneanother. The natural world can speak to our lonelinessand to our grief. And most importantly in a hospitalenvironment, a sojourn in this beautiful garden brings

peace and healing. It brings us away from the starknessof the hospitalthe machines, the noises, the smells,the pain, and the suffering. This space as well as othergreen spaces and gardens here bring peace to thehospital community every day.

Part of why I am here is to express a deep appreciationfor your work. I especially wish to thank Joan Varneyand all the gardening staff who make these grounds abeautiful, inviting and healing space. I thank God for thisspace every day, and I thank God for your work.

I will leave you with a poem:

The earth is all that lasts.The earth is what I speak to whenI do not understand my lifeNor why I am not heard.The earth answers me with the same songThat it sang for my fathers (and mothers) whenTheir tears covered up the sun.The earth sings a song of praise.The earth rises up and laughs at meEach time that I forgetHow spring begins with winterAnd death begins with birth. Nancy Wood. Many Winters. Bantam Doubleday DellBooks: 1974.

Elizabeth Welch is the Coordinator of Programs for

the Sojourn Multi-Faith Chaplaincy at San Francisco

General Hospital. She can be reached at: Elizabeth.

[email protected].

San Francisco General HospitalLeaves Photo Courtesy Sally Shute
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BOOK REVIEW: The Role of the Outdoorsin Residential Environments for AgingSusan Rodiek and Benyamin Schwarz, Editors.

Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press, 2007.

Reviewed by Henry Szymanski, ASLA and Lyn Geboy

Rodiek and Schwarzs edited book, a collection of recent

studies that support the benets of the outdoors in the

lives of older adults, is an excellent read for academicsand practitioners alike. For the researcher, the studies,authored by a mix of top tier and rising generationenvironmental design researchers, offer an interestingvariety of topics, epistemological perspectives, andresearch methods. Acknowledging the programmaticneeds of the practitioner and administrators of residentialsettings for aging, a number of the studies go beyondreporting results, and describe the implications of the

ndings in terms of design recommendations. Theusefulness of the book is enhanced through the studies

well-articulated theoretical groundings and effectiveliterature reviews.

While each of the studies offers something of interest,several stand out. In their study of 40 nursing homesin ve states, Cutler and Kane found that, although

the majority of nursing homes had designated outdoorspaces, roughly a third of residents got outside less thanonce a month. Usage of outdoor areas is hamperedby a lack of proximity to their rooms, lack of staffassistance, and poor design, such as no continuous

hard surface paths. All of these barriers to use ofoutdoor space are supported by the results reported byKearney and Winterbottom, as well.

In their study of outdoor areas and Swedish nursinghome residents, Bengstsson and Carlsson usetheir results to implicitly advance Stigsdotter andGrahns promising concept of instorativeness, a

complementary dimension to restorativeness. Thus,while restorativeness refers to experiences that facilitaterecovery from stress, instorativeness promotes well-being through recognition of identity and fostering self-

esteem. Rodiek found that accessibility, aesthetics,and magnet features such as shade, seating, plants,and views inuenced assisted living residents use of

outdoors spaces.

The interplay of culture as it relates to outdoor spacesis highlighted in a study by Alves, Gulwadi, and Cohen,

who found that elderly U.S. Hispanic respondents hada distinct preference for outdoor settings that supportedsocial interaction, in contrast to Anglo-Americanrespondents, who preferred more natural outdoorsettings for personal, quiet engagement.

In a large-scale survey of residential communities(n=398), Joseph, Zimring, Harris-Kojetin, and Kieferidentied positive relationships between the presence,

numbers, and visibility of activities resources (e.g.,swimming pools, walking paths, gardens) and residents

participation in outdoor physical activities.

The value of nature, even when direct and active useof the outdoors may not be possible, is emphasized inthe study from Tang and Brown. They reported lowerblood pressure and heart rates among elderly womenafter the women viewed natural landscapes versus built

landscapes or no views.

This compilation of metrics and thoughtful interpretationacknowledges the multifaceted resource of nature, andafrms the importance of outdoor settings in designed

environments. The researchers emphasize the needfor purposeful and deliberate creation of natural spacesthat foster restoration and contemplative focus. Thechapters provide a wealth of documented evidence ofthe relationship between natural landscapes, and healthand well-being. In sum, this book is a terric resource for

environmental design researchers, design professionals,and administrators of facilities for the aged who are

looking for solid evidence that nature contributes to thepositive quality of life of older adults.

Note: Rodiek and Schwartzs book was also published

as a special volume of the Journal of Housing for theElderly, 19, 3-4, 2005.

This book review was excerpted with permission fromthe authors. The full review was published in DesignResearch News (vol.38,#3, 2007), the membernewsletter of the Environmental Design ResearchAssociation.

Henry P. Szymanski, ASLA is Associate PrincipalLandscape Architect, and Lyn Geboy, PH.D.

is Director of Research and Education. Both work at

Kahler Slater Architects. Henry Szymanski can be

reached at:[email protected], and LynGeboy can be reached [email protected].
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A Garden That Really Makes Scents!

by Bruce Zaretsky, Afliate ASLA

Wow! Look at the colors in that garden! Look at the

bright ame orange of the Red Hot Poker! The blue

owers on the Delphinium are amazing. And look atthe pink owers on the Astilbe! Theyre stunning, arent

they?

If youre reading this, then you can probably picture

these owers in all their glory. But what if you were

blind? How would you see them? How would you picturethe colors in your mind? Imagine trying to describe colorto someone who has never seen color (well, blue islike.... its like... blue!).

Now, try to imagine approaching a garden, beingenthralled by its smells and textures, and not beingable to bend down to touch the plants. Or being in awheelchair and trying to navigate the broken stone ormulch paths after a spring shower.

These were the challenges we faced when approachedin the fall of 2001 by a private donor wishing to have usdesign and install a garden for the visually and physicallyimpaired in Mendon Ponds Park, Mendon, New York.We were charged with designing a garden for all ofthe senses (which all gardens should be anyway), not

just the eyes. We needed fragrance, texture, color, andsound. And it had to be accessible by allthe blind,

wheelchair-bound, children, and the elderly.

There were not many precedents for us to study. In fact,at that time, there were less than ten sensory gardens inall of the United States. So, instead of turning to othersfor inspiration, we closed our eyes, sat in a chair, andimagined. What would this garden need to have for usto enjoy it? Well, it would need to have lots of texture,raised gardens, extremely fragrant plants, and the soundof running water. It would have a solid path smoothenough for wheelchairs, but not so soft that the wheelswould sink in. Of course, there was the ever-presentbudget. And thats where we started.

Sharons Sensory Garden (named for the donors

daughter) was to be placed in an area approximately3,600 square feet behind the Nature Center at MendonPonds Park. We wanted to provide pathways wideenough for people in wheelchairs, as well as those onfoot, to navigate comfortably and unhurried. The gardens

needed to be raised high enough for wheelchair-boundfolks to be able to touch the plants. Typically, this isanywhere from 18 to 24 inches high. We opted for 18inches so small children could also reach the plants. Thegardens were elevated using ve different types of stone

(dolomitic limestone, granite, Medina sandstone, LaurelMountain stone, and cobbles) because people whocan see will also use this garden. Besides, the differentstones provide differing textures for the visually impairedto touch. We built a small waterfall in the center of thegarden, with a concrete bridge traversing the stream itfeeds. The bridge was built right up against the waterfallso folks in wheelchairs (and kids as well) could put theirhands in the falling water.

In the far reaches of Sharons Garden, a wall of Medina

sandstone boulders incorporates a parking space fora wheelchair. This allows people to get out of the wayof trafc in the garden, as well as the opportunity to be

surrounded on three sides by plantings.

But, as always in a garden, the real stars are the plants.And in a sensory garden, the more, the merrier. Thereare over 170 linear feet of raised beds in this garden,incorporating over 75 varieties of plants, including

Touching the Water, Mendon Ponds Park

Photo courtesy of Zaretsky and Associates, Inc.


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summersweet, Virginia sweetspire, buttery bush,

astilbe, fragrant hosta, and geranium, among manyothers. The herb garden alone has over twenty varieties:three kinds of thyme, lemon balm, tarragon, lavender,rosemary, and three kinds of sage, to name just a few.These plants are in mostly raised beds for all to touchand smell. Ornamental grasses and bamboo cry out tobe caressed. Visitors are encouraged to rub the plants,to smell them, and to experience their textures andscents.

A very nice touch in the garden is the inclusion of twentybrass nameplates, identifying select plants in both wordsand Braille. A custom-made mailbox holds literaturedescribing these plants, again in Braille as well as

English.

Sharons Garden was an exciting garden to design and

install. We were forced to look at our garden design in acompletely new way. We were forced to close our eyesand feel our way around. We were forced to use ourother senses, which we often take for granted since ourvision is our most-used sense. And we were delighted tond that creating a garden for all of the senses is what

we do everyday anyway!

Sharons Garden has been developed for the public to

enjoy. Experience the garden, its smells and textures,

and its sounds. Go ahead; dont be afraid to touch!

Bruce Zaretsky, Afliate ASLA, is the co-owner and

principal designer at Zaretsky and Associates, Inc., in

Rochester, New York. He can be reached [email protected].

Nameplates, Mendon Ponds Park Photo courtesy of Zaretsky and Associates, Inc.

Firefghters Tree: A Living Memorial in NewYork

by Laura Castellano

Kevin Charley did not glance at the pink and whiteroses in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG). He spokein short hurried sentences about the re he just came

from in the neighborhoodhis sneakers still wet fromthe sprinkler system in the building. He walked quicklyunder a thick sloping branch of a weeping willow treeand began to linger on the pathway between the CherryEsplanade and the Liberty Oaks. He stopped altogetherat one scarlet oak, slightly taller and more resplendentthan the others. This is the tree that Charley, 30, andhis company visit each year on September 11th toremember their fellow reghters who died in the

attacks.

The surviving reghters, some who knew the seven

men and some who did not, have taken comfort in thenew community tradition at the BBG as a refuge. Thereghters chose to adopt the tree when it was planted

in 2002. Just a few blocks from the Prospect Heightsrehouse, the BBG is a place to go to remember all

seven of the lost reghters: Thomas Haskell, Matthew

L. Ryan, Andrew B. Jordan, John T. Vigiano II, MichaelKiefer, Thomas Mingione, and Sergio G. Villanueva. Butthe main reason the men say they chose the tree as amemorial is that visiting the tree is simply more pleasant,and in this case, more practical, than visiting a traditiona

memorial.

Charley describes the tree in springthe scarlet oaks

leaves are green, in contrast with the pink owering

cherry blossoms. But, now, in late fall, the scarlet oaks

leaves are deep red and its leaves have outlasted thecherrys leaves.

The Liberty Oaks are just one of over 700 livingmemorials nationwide paying tribute to victims ofSeptember 11th, according to Erika Svendsen. She isthe coauthor of the Living Memorial Project, and overthe past four years researched and analyzed trees andgardens planted for victims. Nature as a representationof an individual, especially in an urban environment,gives a unique sense of serenity, awareness or hope tothe loved ones of those who died.
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In planting trees we remember, reafrm, and rebuild the

patterns that tell us who we are as creatures of nature,as individuals in a community, and as a part of the greatliving commons, said Anne Wiesen, landscape designconsultant.

The BBG and the tree within it calm the survivingreghters and their new colleagues, especially on the

anniversary when memories ood back to them. Theirs

was the farthest battalion from Brooklyn to respondearly that morning. They dont question extensively

what happened to their fellow reghters that morning.

They know the seven men on call for Ladder 132 arrivedshortly before the towers fell. Having this tree as areminder of the men in their own community is importantto them.

I think the tree symbolizes life to us, and especially

to the familiesas long as that tree is standing, saidAnthony Zopich, a reghter at the company.

The Cherry Esplanade and the surrounding LibertyOaks are just one example of a garden within a gardenat the BBG. Our role in this is to provide peace andcontemplation, said Leeann Lavin, communicationsdirector of the BBG. We wanted to honor those killed inthe attacks in some way.

Fireghter Mike Chiarulli approached the public relations

department at the BBG in hopes of planting a tree inhonor of his fellow reghters, but the Garden does

not usually plant trees or gardens as memorials forindividuals. A group of armistice maples, however, were

just being removed at the time he made the phone call,and scarlet oaks were planted in their place. The timingwas just right, Chiarulli said. I gure these things are

going to grow at least 100 years or so, so this was agood idea. They last.

On September 11th, the reghters of Ladder 132 andEngine 28 and as many as 100 friends, family, andcoworkers gather at the rehouse for breakfast before

heading to the BBG for the memorial service. The groupforms a semi-circle around the tree and a family member

lays a wreath near its trunk, heads are bowed as a priestsays a prayer, and there is moment of silence for thereghters and their families. A bell is rung once for each

man who died.

At the ve-year memorial, deceased Fireghter Jordans

children brightly painted seven rocks (red, white, andblue) that were placed at the base of the oaks narrow

trunk. Each rock represents one of the companys

reghters who died.

Even those who did not know the reghters who died

visit the tree memorial each year with the others. Theyhave gotten to know the wives and children of thedeceased men. We adopted a whole other family onthat day, McPolin said. And even on other days, peoplestumble upon the memorial and honor the reghters,

and are reminded of loved ones themselves.

Living memorials function on many different levels,suggests Naomi Sachs, executive director of theTherapeutic Landscapes Resource Center. It isimportant to have public and private spaces in a garden

where people can both commune, but also break awayto grieve by themselves, especially in an urban setting.

In a park theres more space than a cemetery, Sachs

said. You can bring your family and have a picnic. Youdont have to just look at a grave and cry.

Laura Castellano is a freelance journalist living in

Chicago. She can be contacted at

[email protected]
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Appreciation: Jean Stephans Kavanagh, FASLA1947-2008

Jean Stephans Kavanagh, FASLA, of Lubbock, Texas, died on Friday, January 25, 2008, after a brief battle with cancer.

Jean was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and studied architecture at Carnegie Mellon University from 1964-1969. Shereceived her Bachelor of Landscape Architecture in 1976 and her Masters of Landscape Architecture in 1982 from CornellUniversity, Ithaca, New York.

Jean was an Associate Professor in the Department of Landscape Architectureat Texas Tech University. She joined the department in 1990, after teachingat the University of Massachusetts, Amherst 1982-1989. Jean was active incommunity and professional outreach and served as an ofcer in the Texas

Chapter of ASLA, the Horticultural Therapy Association, Sigma Lambda AlphaNational Landscape Architecture Honor Society, and the Council of Educatorsin Landscape Architecture (CELA).

Jean was an exemplary and beloved teacher, researcher, and community

leader. Her groundbreaking research made her an important pioneer inthe study of therapeutic landscapes in the United States. In 1995, she wasrecognized as one of the top women in Landscape Architecture and during thecentennial meeting was inducted into ASLAs College of Fellows in recognition

of her efforts in this area of research. She was an outstanding teacher, havingreceived the Tau Sigma Delta Outstanding Faculty of the year award in 1996,CELAs Award of Distinction in Teaching, Research and Public Service, and

shared CELA Special Award for Methods in 1982. In 2001, Jean chaired thenational faculty awards programs for both Sigma Lambda Alpha and CELA.

All those who knew Jean as a friend, teacher, mentor, researcher andprofessional will greatly miss this wonderful woman and her remarkable work.

The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Texas TechFoundation, the Jean Stevens Kavanagh Endowment (P.O. Box 42123,Lubbock, TX 79409), or Maryknoll Missionaries, in care of Robert V. Nehrig,P.O. Box 304, Maryknoll, NY, 10545

may 2008 newsletter - healthcare and therapeutic design professional practice network

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