Care extends far beyond the walls of our facility at Carpenter Hospice. For Peter, our Facilities Maintenance Specialist, and our dedicated volunteer garden team including Kathi, Cheri and Angela; the mission behind the hospice’s evolving outside space is to provide a sense of connection, not only for residents and their families at the hospice, but also for staff, volunteers, and community members.
Set against the backdrop of a natural forest, our hospice’s garden is one of a kind. “Carpenter is so unique with its location,” says Cheri, “It’s different from other hospices, we are surrounded by a forest. We are able to take advantage of the nature around us to provide a natural space to be present in”. And it’s working, “When I am back here in the garden, it’s almost spiritual” says Angela. It’s a place of peace and reflection. “We have such a beautiful standard of care inside the hospice, and we want to bring what we provide inside, to the outside” says Peter. The initiative to the grow gardening program is gaining momentum, thanks to shared passion and purpose.
A beautiful aspect of the space’s evolution is how much of it has been built on generosity. Many of the plants, and flowers now thriving in the space were donated, each one here because someone believed in our vision. A new feature generating excitement is the addition of a butterfly garden. “Butterflies, they aren’t simply a symbol that represents our hospice,” says Peter. “They also represent the circle of life, freedom, they are delicate and resilient. There is meaning in everything happening here”. Kathi adds, “It’s really exciting that we are able to move forward on our goals for this garden. It’s finally the right time”.
Looking to the future, they envision an even greater role for the broader community. With the garden we will be able to foster a space for legacy projects, fundraisers, and collaborative events where we can build stronger partnerships with those around us.
Below is a poem written by Peter Banahan:
In the Garden That Remembers
Where hummingbirds hum like held breath in flight,
And butterflies stitch morning to night,
There blooms a place beyond design,
A hush, a healing, a curve of time.
The flowers here are not just for show,
They lean to listen. They seem to know.
Native petals cradle grace,
In every stem, a sacred space.
A bench remembers laughter’s tone,
A pathway worn by feet, not left alone.
Hands once trembling find their rest,
As wings alight upon the chest.
A child sets stones where stories sleep,
A nurse walks slowly where the grasses weep.
The wind stirs not to move but to stay,
To bless what’s said and not yet prayed.
And when the world feels much too loud,
The garden answers softly and proudly:
“Come sit. Come be. Come feel this air,
Love hasn’t left. It always lingers here.
PWB 06. 25