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

Contents
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 Firefighters Tree ..............................10 Appreciation: Jean Stephens Kavanaugh, FASLA .........................12

Letter from the Chair

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 is wonderfully exciting no matter the region, and for many of us ignites the insatiable urge to dig, plant, and tidy up the garden. The very sight of the new green shoots renews and invigorates. I hope that everyone has an opportunity 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 amount of work that our PPN members have accomplished over the winter. First, heres the spring 2008 newsletter! We thank all of our contributors for sharing their work, and extend special thanks to our member/editor Sally Shute, Associate ASLA, for sharing her time and expertise. We hope that our members find the articles informative, interesting and in keeping with the energy and spirit of this group! The Therapeutic Landscape Research Initiative (TLRI) database is now available online. The HTD PPN was the first to receive a grant from ASLAs PPN Initiative Program. The TLRI grant was awarded to support the development of an accessible compendium of current research on the topic of therapeutic landscape and garden design and begins to accomplish the earlier goal to provide research that validate(s) intuition and motivate(s) policy change. The database currently contains over 100 entries including the sources and abstracts. The project extends into late next fall and the plan is to maintain this resource indefinitely, adding new materials as they emerge. We thank Susan Erickson, ASLA, and her Iowa State University students for this fine work.

Healthcare and Therapeutic Design PPN Marguerite Koepke, ASLA, Chair mkoepke@uga.edu Angela Pappas, Associate ASLA, Future Chair acp@aecatl.com

636 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001-3736 202-898-2444 www.asla.org

Healthcare and Therapeutic Design PPN

May 2008

The eCommunity has been launched. Naomi Sachs, ASLA (past chair) and Angela Pappas, ASLA, (future chair) have been instrumental in launching and monitoring our new eCommunity. The eCommunity is wonderful new tool and has great potential to become an online meeting place for members and a place to ask questions and/or generate discussions. In part, this tool helps reduce the frequency of postings to the PPNs listserv, saving time and unnecessary overloading of members email boxes. ASLA staff member Kasha Helget is sending out brief notices to alert members of new postings. If you have any questions or have had difficulties accessing the eCommunity please feel free to contact ASLA for assistance. We are also pleased to report that members of our group continue to work with several ongoing initiatives including: veterans affairs projects, another PPN Landscape Initiatives Grant is in the works, centered on forging new interdisciplinary relationships, the development of a comprehensive list of courses and programs offered in therapeutic garden design, and broadening our reach into the international community of design and scholarship. So, opportunities for involvement abound! It is indeed an exciting time for our group. We have grown 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 share your thoughts and ideas. If you would like to be involved in any of the ongoing work mentioned or have ideas for new projects, initiative or articles please feel free to contact 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: mkoepke@uga.edu.

2007-08 Healthcare and Therapeutic Design PPN Officers

ChairMarguerite Koepke, ASLA, Professor Emeritus Chair-ElectAngela Pappas, ASLA Past ChairNaomi A. Sachs, ASLA Events Co-ChairsP. Annie Kirk, ASLA, and Jack Carman, FASLA Senior AdvisorMark Epstein, ASLA Newsletter EditorSally Shute, Associate ASLA Web SiteAngela Pappas, ASLA, and Naomi A. Sachs, ASLA

The New Landscape at the DreamTree Project: A Garden of Healing and Unity
by Ed Fenzl, ASLA The DreamTree Project (DreamTree) is a restorative initiative of care for at-risk and homeless youth aged 16-24 in a Transitional Living Program in Taos, New Mexico. It offers integrative services within a home-like environment where living and relationship skills are practiced. The DreamTree residential center originally provided housing and support for eight youths in transition. The site is currently undergoing a major renovation. When completed, it will have five new casitas (small houses) and a common room. This will allow the center to accept an additional eight residents. In Spring 2006, I offered pro bono landscape design services to renovate the garden to complement the positive, secure, and nurturing environment created in the indoor spaces. The landscape master plan has five garden areas: frontage entry, front left food growing garden, courtyard behind primary facility, courtyard in front of five new casitas, and side yard/perimeter landscape. The frontage entry garden was the recipient of a $1600 grant from the local Los Jardineros Garden Club in August of 2007. It is intended to serve as a welcome for residents, staff, visitors, and guests, and to contribute to the home-like environment at DreamTree. It will provide some shade for parking and will serve as a transition

Photo Courtesy UGA Photographic Services

636 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001-3736 202-898-2444 www.asla.org

May 2008

Healthcare and Therapeutic Design PPN

addition, application has been made to the US Green Building Council to certify the recently constructed casitas under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program. DreamTree would be the first treatment center in New Mexico to receive this certification. It is hoped that the landscape project will be a powerful educational tool for DreamTree residents who may be required to contribute community service hours or participate in service learning projects.

between the street and the studios, and provide a highly visible entry statement. The courtyard in front of the new casitas received a donation of 12 vertical pole timbers for the construction of the newly designed pergola. The general contractor also provided the permanent infrastructure for rainwater catchment and a drip irrigation mainline.

Ed Fenzl, ASLA, is a freelance landscape designer in Taos, New Mexico. He can be contacted at arseco-150ski@earthlink.net.

Healthcare and Therapeutic Garden Design PPN Field Session

ASLA Annual Meeting 2007, San Francisco, California
Image Courtesy Ed Fenzl

by Sally Shute, Associate ASLA Part 1: Interview with P. Annie Kirk, ASLA, and Jack Carman, FASLA For the 2007 ASLA national meeting, the Healthcare and Therapeutic Garden Design PPN sponsored a therapeutic garden field session (tour). The tour included The Sequoias Life Care Community as an example of continuity of care throughout ones life (see http://www.ncphs.org/life_care/san_francisco/index. php); and several gardens at San Francisco General Hospital, including the Comfort Garden, Avon Breast Health Center, and the Psychiatric Services ward (http:// www.ucsfhealth.org/). The tour sites were arranged by P. Annie Kirk, ASLA, and Jack Carman, FASLA. We thought it would be helpful to describe the decisionmaking process for selecting tour sites as well as the importance of feedback from PPN members regarding the success of these sites in meeting criteria that we perceive as therapeutic. Shute: You have organized several tours now. What do you believe is the value of the tours to the PPN? Kirk: There are a number of values that the tours provide.

Image Courtesy Ed Fenzl

The completed landscape will provide a beautiful space and will align the outdoor environment of DreamTree with its organizational values of sustainability and low impact. In partnership with the Taos Native Plant Society, plants that are chosen will be native and regionally appropriate. The landscape will be low maintenance, require low water use and be energy efficient. In

636 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001-3736 202-898-2444 www.asla.org

Healthcare and Therapeutic Design PPN

May 2008

First, they provide a forum for our PPN members to share their perspectives and experiences through reviewing regional examples of healthcare and therapeutic gardens. Second, they further ASLAs understanding, appreciation, and support for our particular specialty. And finally, our contacting of various facilities to coordinate the tour awakens the administrations 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 constant examination. Carman: The tours are something that the members have expressed over and over that they find most interesting and educational to them and for their practice. The tours are a way to bring people together who share a common interest 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 with referrals, research, and networking with others that have visited the sites or know of them. Jack and/or I visit selected sites the year prior to the annual meeting and evaluate the following: 1) the value of the site paired with the contribution of staff; 2) what lessons might be learned both on the micro and macro level; and 3) how such an event will complement the larger annual meeting, and how we coordinate with the local ASLA chapter. Carman: Annie has expressed it well. One other consideration is luck. We try to find sites that we know exhibit the characteristics of therapeutic gardens. This is not always that easy, as some cities do not have a wide range of examples from which to choose. We have a good idea of what the PPN members expect and try to find a range of garden types to satisfy most everyones interests. Shute: What attracted you to these sites in the San Francisco Bay Area? Kirk: First, given the constraints placed by ASLA, we knew

that we had to find sites within a five mile radius from the convention center. This narrowed the field immediately, particularly with several gardens in the Bay Area to explore. Second, we considered the commitment and good work done by the staff at each of the facilities and the diverse user demographicsculture, use, staff support, income, location within the larger landscape of the city, etc.as key to the sites we chose. The difference in infrastructure was also a factor. For instance, all gardens at the Sequoias are on roof decks as well as three of the five at San Francisco General Hospital. This technically affords learning in its own right. Both sites were very welcoming of our visit, which helps tremendously. Both sites had a pre-existing appreciation for the value of nature within their facilities. Carman: The first site that we visited was the Sequoias Life Care Retirement Community that had a roof top container garden. We were fortunate to have Robert La Rocca, the landscape architect who originally designed the project, walk us through the garden and explain the criteria for and design of the gardens. The second site, San Francisco General Hospital, offered a range of garden types and, again, we were fortunate to be able to talk with the designersJoan Varney and her maintenance staff in the Comfort Garden, and our colleague, Topher Delaney, in the Avon Garden. The sites were very rich in educational opportunities that we knew the participants would appreciate seeing.

San Francisco General Hospital Comfort Garden. Photo Courtesy Sally Shute

636 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001-3736 202-898-2444 www.asla.org

May 2008

Healthcare and Therapeutic Design PPN

Shute: What do you two have planned for the 2008 ASLA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia? Kirk/Carman: As in the past, we have been working with the local ASLA chapters to organize a field session/tour entitled: Therapeutic Gardens Tour of Delaware Valley. We look forward to highlighting the good work of such sites as Medford Leas Continue Care Retirement Community in Medford, 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 discussions both on the tour buses and in small informal groups while touring and at lunch. For our next newsletter this year, we would like to highlight their responses to the questions listed below. Please email sashute@astound. net if you would like to contribute to the discussion (please include PPN in subject line). Please respond to any of the following questions for which you feel strongly. Also, please address any issue not included below: 1. What specifically made these sites therapeutic or healing to you? 2. Which elements of specific sites may have been nontherapeutic? 3. It may seem obvious to some, but why include so many staff as discussants? 4. What were highlights for you? 5. What was the most significant take home lesson for you? 6. What was the most rewarding part of the day? 7. What do you consider the greatest accomplishment from the tour? 8 What was the most challenging or controversial element for attendees and hosts? 9. For those of you familiar with the San Francisco Bay Area, 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 she generated about the promotion of therapeutic garden design?

As a means to generate further discussion amongst the PPN members, please find the following reflections from Annie Kirk, provided following the October 2007 event: At the end the day, no matter the appearance of capital invested in a garden, I take pause of use as a determinant in whether a garden is successful, in terms of healing or therapeutic benefit. We heard feedback that the Sequoias, although lovely with obvious large capital investments, didnt appear to be used. I wondered what kind of use attendees meant. Daily?

Sequoias Life Care Retirement Community.

Photo Courtesty P. Annie Kirk

Active? Programmed? Passive? Viewing? Immersed? As we review sites, it appears that appropriate and applicable use needs to be defined. What are evaluators expecting the use to be in a garden versus the goals for the facility and the tolerances and preferences of the specific 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 the extensive garden areas? Many attendees remarked that the only areas at the Sequoias that were being used were the raised plantersthat this area appeared to be 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 the garden areas a-flurry with userswalking, socializing, playing cards, etc.; and 2) I noted that, as soon as our tour group proceeded out, many residents left the gardens on both levels. I take pause that perhaps our large tour group presence deterred typical use that day.

636 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001-3736 202-898-2444 www.asla.org

Healthcare and Therapeutic Design PPN

May 2008

Additionally, the question of use brings up the long-had discussion/debate on a definition of therapeutic. Based on comments made during the tour, it was suggested that, because the use in the garden areas other than the raised 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? What of the physical exercise that occurs in these areas? These are instigative questions, as the Comfort Garden is a place noted primarily for solace, social interaction, talk therapy, and physical exercise, not unlike most of the gardens at the Sequoias. Yet, the Comfort Garden received potentially greater preference by tour attendees. Why? What were attendees looking for that goes unmentioned when discerning the therapeutic value of one garden over another? What makes one more preferable than the other? Is it an intuitive rating we give? Is it our own predisposition? Do we move too quickly 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 rattle some cages, and we spark discussionall to further discern what we as a collective advocacy group describe as therapeutic garden design. There is obviously something explicit in our discussion, yet I ask, what is it that we are trying to get to? And how do we express this among our colleagues and beyond in order to further the good 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: Annie@RedBirdDesign.net. Jack Carman, FASLA is President of Design for Generations, LLC and can be reached at: jpcarman1@comcast.net.

As part of the tour of San Francisco General Hospitals Comfort Garden during the ASLA annual meeting, Chaplain Elizabeth Welch provided attendees with her thoughts of the value of the garden. Below she offers her reflections 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 and healingour profound, at times unspoken, yet palpable need for nature in health care spaces. -- P. Annie Kirk.

Comfort GardenChaplains Address 10-07

by Elizabeth Welch Multi-Faith Chaplaincy is a non-profit organization. Our mission is to provide spiritual care for the San Francisco General 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 (and all the gardens and green space here) to the work of spiritual care. I would like to begin and end with short poems, both by Nancy Wood: You shall ask What good are dead leaves And I will tell you They nourish the sore earth. You shall ask What reason is there for winter And I will tell you To bring about new leaves. You shall ask Why are the leaves so green And I will tell you Because they are rich with life. You shall ask Why must summer end And I will tell you So 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 due to construction. This has made me aware of what it is to not have this space available. And I am so grateful for it now. Much of what I do is to train volunteer chaplains and interns, and I bring them to the Comfort Garden on their first day. I tell them this is the most important place at the hospital for you to know about; this is the place of renewal. This is where you come after those

636 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001-3736 202-898-2444 www.asla.org

May 2008

Healthcare and Therapeutic Design PPN

and staff herethis space is important for the whole hospital community.

difficult visits. This is where you come at the end of that challenging day. This is where you come after witnessing all that suffering and pain. Come here to the Comfort Garden 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 of ways. Yearly remembrance services have been held to commemorate losses of staff and patients and to support the grief process of patients, their loved ones, and staff. These services included creating name tags to identify plants. They were intended to be impermanent a symbol of our impermanence, and how the earth cradles us in death as in life. The services in this garden were

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 of connection and a pathway to peace and healingstable, yet constantly changing, mirroring the circle of birth and death, and the transformation of suffering into joy. All spiritual traditions emphasize the importance of nature, the earth, and of all growing things. Connection with the earth is healing. Gardensthe presence of growing thingsreminds us both of how small we are and yet how connected we are to the earth and one another. The natural world can speak to our loneliness and to our grief. And most importantly in a hospital environment, a sojourn in this beautiful garden brings peace and healing. It brings us away from the starkness of the hospitalthe machines, the noises, the smells, the pain, and the suffering. This space as well as other green spaces and gardens here bring peace to the hospital community every day. Part of why I am here is to express a deep appreciation for your work. I especially wish to thank Joan Varney and all the gardening staff who make these grounds a beautiful, inviting and healing space. I thank God for this space 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 when I do not understand my life Nor why I am not heard. The earth answers me with the same song That it sang for my fathers (and mothers) when Their tears covered up the sun. The earth sings a song of praise. The earth rises up and laughs at me Each time that I forget How spring begins with winter And death begins with birth. Nancy Wood. Many Winters. Bantam Doubleday Dell Books: 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. Welch@sfdph.org.

San Francisco General HospitalLeaves

Photo Courtesy Sally Shute

crucial to this hospital community during the time that so many people were dying of AIDS. They helped this community walk through the grief. Various spiritual rituals have been observed in this space, rituals of connecting to the four directions, the four elements, and the change of seasons, all of which have significant meanings in various spiritual traditions. Just this past week, a Wiccan priestess, an expert in earth-based spiritual traditions, presented a ceremony to our volunteer chaplains. We came to the Comfort Garden and joined in a ritual of celebrating the blessings of the earth. Chaplains are always advocates for those things that support our wholeness as human beings. We recognize connection to the earth and connection to nature as crucial to healing. I often direct family members, patients,

636 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001-3736 202-898-2444 www.asla.org

Healthcare and Therapeutic Design PPN

May 2008

BOOK REVIEW: The Role of the Outdoors in Residential Environments for Aging
Susan Rodiek and Benyamin Schwarz, Editors. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press, 2007.

who found that elderly U.S. Hispanic respondents had a distinct preference for outdoor settings that supported social interaction, in contrast to Anglo-American respondents, who preferred more natural outdoor settings for personal, quiet engagement. In a large-scale survey of residential communities (n=398), Joseph, Zimring, Harris-Kojetin, and Kiefer identified 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 use of the outdoors may not be possible, is emphasized in the study from Tang and Brown. They reported lower blood pressure and heart rates among elderly women after the women viewed natural landscapes versus built landscapes or no views. This compilation of metrics and thoughtful interpretation acknowledges the multifaceted resource of nature, and affirms the importance of outdoor settings in designed environments. The researchers emphasize the need for purposeful and deliberate creation of natural spaces that foster restoration and contemplative focus. The chapters provide a wealth of documented evidence of the relationship between natural landscapes, and health and well-being. In sum, this book is a terrific resource for environmental design researchers, design professionals, and administrators of facilities for the aged who are looking for solid evidence that nature contributes to the positive quality of life of older adults. Note: Rodiek and Schwartzs book was also published as a special volume of the Journal of Housing for the Elderly, 19, 3-4, 2005. This book review was excerpted with permission from the authors. The full review was published in Design Research News (vol.38, #3, 2007), the member newsletter of the Environmental Design Research Association. Henry P. Szymanski, ASLA is Associate Principal Landscape Architect, and Lyn Geboy, PH.D. is Director of Research and Education. Both work at Kahler Slater Architects. Henry Szymanski can be reached at: hszymanski@kahlerslater.com, and Lyn Geboy can be reached at lgeboy@kahlerslater.com.

Reviewed by Henry Szymanski, ASLA and Lyn Geboy Rodiek and Schwarzs edited book, a collection of recent studies that support the benefits of the outdoors in the lives of older adults, is an excellent read for academics and practitioners alike. For the researcher, the studies, authored by a mix of top tier and rising generation environmental design researchers, offer an interesting variety of topics, epistemological perspectives, and research methods. Acknowledging the programmatic needs of the practitioner and administrators of residential settings for aging, a number of the studies go beyond reporting results, and describe the implications of the findings in terms of design recommendations. The usefulness of the book is enhanced through the studies well-articulated theoretical groundings and effective literature reviews. While each of the studies offers something of interest, several stand out. In their study of 40 nursing homes in five states, Cutler and Kane found that, although the majority of nursing homes had designated outdoor spaces, roughly a third of residents got outside less than once a month. Usage of outdoor areas is hampered by a lack of proximity to their rooms, lack of staff assistance, and poor design, such as no continuous hard surface paths. All of these barriers to use of outdoor space are supported by the results reported by Kearney and Winterbottom, as well. In their study of outdoor areas and Swedish nursing home residents, Bengstsson and Carlsson use their results to implicitly advance Stigsdotter and Grahns promising concept of instorativeness, a complementary dimension to restorativeness. Thus, while restorativeness refers to experiences that facilitate recovery from stress, instorativeness promotes wellbeing through recognition of identity and fostering selfesteem. Rodiek found that accessibility, aesthetics, and magnet features such as shade, seating, plants, and views influenced assisted living residents use of outdoors spaces. The interplay of culture as it relates to outdoor spaces is highlighted in a study by Alves, Gulwadi, and Cohen,

636 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001-3736 202-898-2444 www.asla.org

May 2008

Healthcare and Therapeutic Design PPN

A Garden That Really Makes Scents!

by Bruce Zaretsky, Affiliate ASLA Wow! Look at the colors in that garden! Look at the bright flame orange of the Red Hot Poker! The blue flowers on the Delphinium are amazing. And look at the pink flowers on the Astilbe! Theyre stunning, arent they? If youre reading this, then you can probably picture these flowers in all their glory. But what if you were blind? How would you see them? How would you picture the colors in your mind? Imagine trying to describe color to someone who has never seen color (well, blue is like.... its like... blue!). Now, try to imagine approaching a garden, being enthralled by its smells and textures, and not being able to bend down to touch the plants. Or being in a wheelchair and trying to navigate the broken stone or mulch paths after a spring shower. These were the challenges we faced when approached in the fall of 2001 by a private donor wishing to have us design and install a garden for the visually and physically impaired in Mendon Ponds Park, Mendon, New York. We were charged with designing a garden for all of the senses (which all gardens should be anyway), not just the eyes. We needed fragrance, texture, color, and sound. 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 in all of the United States. So, instead of turning to others for inspiration, we closed our eyes, sat in a chair, and imagined. What would this garden need to have for us to enjoy it? Well, it would need to have lots of texture, raised gardens, extremely fragrant plants, and the sound of running water. It would have a solid path smooth enough for wheelchairs, but not so soft that the wheels would sink in. Of course, there was the ever-present budget. And thats where we started. Sharons Sensory Garden (named for the donors daughter) was to be placed in an area approximately 3,600 square feet behind the Nature Center at Mendon Ponds Park. We wanted to provide pathways wide enough for people in wheelchairs, as well as those on foot, to navigate comfortably and unhurried. The gardens

needed to be raised high enough for wheelchair-bound folks to be able to touch the plants. Typically, this is anywhere from 18 to 24 inches high. We opted for 18 inches so small children could also reach the plants. The gardens were elevated using five different types of stone (dolomitic limestone, granite, Medina sandstone, Laurel Mountain stone, and cobbles) because people who can see will also use this garden. Besides, the different stones provide differing textures for the visually impaired to touch. We built a small waterfall in the center of the garden, with a concrete bridge traversing the stream it feeds. The bridge was built right up against the waterfall so folks in wheelchairs (and kids as well) could put their hands in the falling water.

Touching the Water, Mendon Ponds Park Photo courtesy of Zaretsky and Associates, Inc.

In the far reaches of Sharons Garden, a wall of Medina sandstone boulders incorporates a parking space for a wheelchair. This allows people to get out of the way of traffic 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. There are over 170 linear feet of raised beds in this garden, incorporating over 75 varieties of plants, including

636 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001-3736 202-898-2444 www.asla.org

10

Healthcare and Therapeutic Design PPN

May 2008

summersweet, Virginia sweetspire, butterfly bush, astilbe, fragrant hosta, and geranium, among many others. 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 touch and smell. Ornamental grasses and bamboo cry out to be caressed. Visitors are encouraged to rub the plants, to smell them, and to experience their textures and scents.

Firefighters Tree: A Living Memorial in New York

by Laura Castellano Kevin Charley did not glance at the pink and white roses in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG). He spoke in short hurried sentences about the fire he just came from in the neighborhoodhis sneakers still wet from the sprinkler system in the building. He walked quickly under a thick sloping branch of a weeping willow tree and began to linger on the pathway between the Cherry Esplanade and the Liberty Oaks. He stopped altogether at one scarlet oak, slightly taller and more resplendent than the others. This is the tree that Charley, 30, and his company visit each year on September 11th to remember their fellow firefighters who died in the attacks. The surviving firefighters, some who knew the seven men and some who did not, have taken comfort in the new community tradition at the BBG as a refuge. The firefighters chose to adopt the tree when it was planted in 2002. Just a few blocks from the Prospect Heights firehouse, the BBG is a place to go to remember all seven of the lost firefighters: Thomas Haskell, Matthew L. Ryan, Andrew B. Jordan, John T. Vigiano II, Michael Kiefer, Thomas Mingione, and Sergio G. Villanueva. But the main reason the men say they chose the tree as a memorial is that visiting the tree is simply more pleasant, and in this case, more practical, than visiting a traditional memorial. Charley describes the tree in springthe scarlet oaks leaves are green, in contrast with the pink flowering cherry blossoms. But, now, in late fall, the scarlet oaks leaves are deep red and its leaves have outlasted the cherrys leaves. The Liberty Oaks are just one of over 700 living memorials nationwide paying tribute to victims of September 11th, according to Erika Svendsen. She is the coauthor of the Living Memorial Project, and over the past four years researched and analyzed trees and gardens planted for victims. Nature as a representation of an individual, especially in an urban environment, gives a unique sense of serenity, awareness or hope to the loved ones of those who died.

Nameplates, Mendon Ponds Park

Photo courtesy of Zaretsky and Associates, Inc.

A very nice touch in the garden is the inclusion of twenty brass nameplates, identifying select plants in both words and Braille. A custom-made mailbox holds literature describing 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 a completely new way. We were forced to close our eyes and feel our way around. We were forced to use our other senses, which we often take for granted since our vision is our most-used sense. And we were delighted to find 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, Affiliate ASLA, is the co-owner and principal designer at Zaretsky and Associates, Inc., in Rochester, New York. He can be reached at bruce@ zaretskyassociates.com.

636 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001-3736 202-898-2444 www.asla.org

May 2008

Healthcare and Therapeutic Design PPN

11

In planting trees we remember, reaffirm, 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 great living commons, said Anne Wiesen, landscape design consultant. The BBG and the tree within it calm the surviving firefighters and their new colleagues, especially on the anniversary when memories flood back to them. Theirs was the farthest battalion from Brooklyn to respond early that morning. They dont question extensively what happened to their fellow firefighters that morning. They know the seven men on call for Ladder 132 arrived shortly before the towers fell. Having this tree as a reminder of the men in their own community is important to them. I think the tree symbolizes life to us, and especially to the familiesas long as that tree is standing, said Anthony Zopich, a firefighter at the company. The Cherry Esplanade and the surrounding Liberty Oaks are just one example of a garden within a garden at the BBG. Our role in this is to provide peace and contemplation, said Leeann Lavin, communications director of the BBG. We wanted to honor those killed in the attacks in some way. Firefighter Mike Chiarulli approached the public relations department at the BBG in hopes of planting a tree in honor of his fellow firefighters, but the Garden does not usually plant trees or gardens as memorials for individuals. 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 timing was just right, Chiarulli said. I figure these things are going to grow at least 100 years or so, so this was a good idea. They last. On September 11th, the firefighters of Ladder 132 and Engine 28 and as many as 100 friends, family, and coworkers gather at the firehouse for breakfast before heading to the BBG for the memorial service. The group forms a semi-circle around the tree and a family member lays a wreath near its trunk, heads are bowed as a priest says a prayer, and there is moment of silence for the firefighters and their families. A bell is rung once for each man who died.

At the five-year memorial, deceased Firefighter Jordans children brightly painted seven rocks (red, white, and blue) that were placed at the base of the oaks narrow trunk. Each rock represents one of the companys firefighters who died. Even those who did not know the firefighters who died visit the tree memorial each year with the others. They have gotten to know the wives and children of the deceased men. We adopted a whole other family on that day, McPolin said. And even on other days, people stumble upon the memorial and honor the firefighters, and are reminded of loved ones themselves. Living memorials function on many different levels, suggests Naomi Sachs, executive director of the Therapeutic Landscapes Resource Center. It is important to have public and private spaces in a garden where people can both commune, but also break away to 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. You dont have to just look at a grave and cry. Laura Castellano is a freelance journalist living in Chicago. She can be contacted at lauragcastellano@gmail.com

636 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001-3736 202-898-2444 www.asla.org

12

Healthcare and Therapeutic Design PPN

May 2008

Appreciation: Jean Stephans Kavanagh, FASLA 1947-2008

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. She received her Bachelor of Landscape Architecture in 1976 and her Masters of Landscape Architecture in 1982 from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Jean was an Associate Professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture at Texas Tech University. She joined the department in 1990, after teaching at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst 1982-1989. Jean was active in community and professional outreach and served as an officer in the Texas Chapter of ASLA, the Horticultural Therapy Association, Sigma Lambda Alpha National Landscape Architecture Honor Society, and the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA). Jean was an exemplary and beloved teacher, researcher, and community leader. Her groundbreaking research made her an important pioneer in the study of therapeutic landscapes in the United States. In 1995, she was recognized as one of the top women in Landscape Architecture and during the centennial meeting was inducted into ASLAs College of Fellows in recognition of her efforts in this area of research. She was an outstanding teacher, having received 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 the national faculty awards programs for both Sigma Lambda Alpha and CELA. All those who knew Jean as a friend, teacher, mentor, researcher and professional will greatly miss this wonderful woman and her remarkable work. The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Texas Tech Foundation, 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

636 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001-3736 202-898-2444 www.asla.org