Garden of Harmony & Peace

The Garden of Harmony & Peace (The Zen Garden) was completed in the spring of 2017. It encompasses all of the elements and philosophies of a traditional Japanese garden, to create a sense of harmony and balance.

It offers an escape from everyday stress and is a place of purity and contemplation. Every element that went into the garden has a meaning, along with the careful arrangement and use of natural and unobtrusive materials.

Enter through the torii gate, an iconic Japanese gateway, traditionally marking the division between the physical and spiritual worlds. The open fencing signifies boundaries, but the openness of the fence is to see beyond set limits. There are three sentinel stones in the garden and they represent the past, present and future journeys of our lives. Decorative stone form the skeletal structure of the garden and the contour of the “sand” gravel represents the sea of life. The course wide rake is used to create the effect of “waves” as the person using the rake reflects on their life. Water represents the lifeblood of the garden. The rain curtain symbolizes purity and cleanliness of mind, body and spirit, the cornerstones of the Hope Grows’ mission. The pillar of fire symbolizes passion and excitement, as well as, comfort and help.

The Zen Garden prefers the delicate balance of non-symmetry in plantings. This garden showcases Japanese maple trees, lilacs, beauty berry bushes (fall blooming), and hinoki cypress trees. Take a moment of time to rake a path in the sand before leaving.


Healing & Restorative Properties

Psychological health benefits by way of stress reduction. A Zen Garden evokes feelings of tranquility, harmony and peace. The attention is meditative and becomes a place to help calm, declutter and create a focused inward attention on what truly matters in the moment.  

Suggested Therapeutic Activity

This garden has many different applications. Consider raking a path from the past, to the present and into the future and contemplate those three areas of life. Where may you be struggling? Turn on the rain curtain and allow the sound of the water restore any unpleasant feelings that may have surfaced from the sand raking. Sit calmly, meditate and allow the transcendent world between the physical and the spiritual enlighten you.  


Volunteer Schedule

The garden effort on a yearly basis is approximately 10-15 hours during the spring into fall seasons. Once every 2-3 weeks, for about 1-2 hours is an appropriate time frame for support that is needed.

Seasonal Maintenance Description

Fertilizing, mulching, watering, weeding, pruning, pest & deer control applications. Startup pond maintenance as well as winterizing.

Adopt the Garden

Cost: $500 yearly

Signage with name/company name will be in placed in the garden for one year.

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