High Elevation Gardening Web Log "Blog"

For some of the residents, the gardens give them the experience of something pleasurable, such as the colors and aromas of the gardens and the sounds of animals from the forest nearby, something besides the heaviness of their situation. If people have ever been lonely, they can begin to understand the loneliness of those comprehending their own fragility. A touch, a word, a sound, a sliver of light, and a garden are godsends. Gardens don't solve life's final mystery, but they ease a passage through that mystery.

Some of the residents have been gardeners all their lives and enjoy looking at the variety of the garden, especially sharing advice, knowing that their voice still counts. Some can actually participate and have planted tomatoes and potatoes or harvested many of the salad greens and vegetables used in the home. Many squirrels, deer, birds, butterflies visit the garden where the residents can enjoy them, even the insects. Pots filled with the sensations of plants line the pathways, allowing those with limited vision to explore the touch, taste, and aroma of the garden.

Families can also participate and have joined in working in the garden while their loved ones are resting. Many bring their children who enjoy exploring the Faerie Garden. The gazebo and benches allow places for them to sit and reflect and to hold a celebration of life for their loved ones.

The volunteer gardeners reap many benefits, such as getting their hands in the dirt, creating beds, sharing ideas with other gardeners, and enjoying mysteries of nature. There is also an abiding joy in knowing that one has done something worthwhile, especially for those who may no longer be able garden themselves. The gardens are a place where many of the residents and families can unwind, relax, and release their anxieties surrounded in nature's splendor.

Jesus said to his disciples that they encountered him, when "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me." And well, he might have added, "I was lonely and you touched me."

While a hospice is not an organization of gloom, it deals with the sadness of the inevitable. Hospice workers and volunteers, like gardeners, work with the fragility of life, and, therefore, they treasure life and want to make its passage as rewarding as possible. The mission of Northland Hospice includes "helping individuals and families live each day to the fullest."

A dedicated cadre of volunteers works every week during the growing season to maintain an atmosphere that draws the residents out of themselves into the world around them. Besides the hours of volunteer work, finances are needed to buy plants, irrigation supplies, and accessories, and so they're having a raffle now in progress and a garden party on August 17th. Several of Flagstaff's finest artists have contributed paintings, glass works, fabric art, and pottery, many pieces with a garden theme, and Flagstaff merchants have contributed valuable gift certificates and other items. Tickets for the garden tea are $25 and raffle tickets are $3 each or 6 for $15, and they can be purchased at the hospice office at 452 N. Switzer Canyon Rd., at Hodge Podge, 2530 E. Rte. 66, the Friday Art Walks, or by contacting cynthia.davis@nau.edu.

Loni Shapiro and Dana Prom Smith are Master Gardener volunteers. Dana who is the editor of the column, can be contacted at stpauls@npgcable.com. For more information, call Hattie Braun at 774-1868, Ext. 17, or visit highelevationgardening.arizona.edu.