The Meditation Garden

As Mark said, our mother went to a support group at UMass medical center. They taught her about different ways to care for herself to help her through the cancer and the treatment. She said they suggested she meditate daily for 20 minutes or so. She tried. She said she didn't like it and couldn't do it. So she decided to make a meditation garden instead. She said that this way she was taking "her thing" and still using "their thing" so the making of the garden was her meditation. The Meditation Garden was at one end of the 'English Wild Flower' ...

Day lily, Peony and Hosta Bed

The bed of Rhododendrons under the hickory tree was planted in 1978. Three years earlier an area on the left side of the hill going down to the gazebo and ultimately to the fish pond was cleared to make room for perennial flower beds and a vegetable garden. Both would need a lot of sun and so were placed on the left side where the plants would enjoy the sun for more of the day. From 1985 to 1987 those two beds, the perennials and vegetable garden were changed over to the present beds of hosta, peony and day lilies. The ...

The Fish Pool Garden

The area below the gazebo was once full of mighty oaks and raspberry vines. After that area was cleared some very unusual and beautiful rock formations were found. These rocks became the basis for the planting beds and the fish pond. The bench at the foot of the rocks is a place for you to enjoy the view of the pond,rocks and the gazebo above. The fish pond with a blog area and a marsh area was done in 1988. It took three years to finish. It was a fun project and learning about water plants and animal life in the ...

Dish Garden

The garden is not really a garden. It is a group of gardens that as a whole make up 'The Healing Garden'. There are really 13 areas that in themselves could be considered to be a garden. *"As you tour the garden... you will see that is garden did not get done in a short time, nor at one time. It has been fun and the source and the source of a great deal of satisfaction." *-From a 'Map to Areas in Thurston Gardens' created for Garden Club tours in 1995 The general areas include: The parking area garden, driveway gardens, courtyard, ...

Bleeding Hearts

As with Weeping Cherries, Bleeding Hearts remind me of my Mother's 7 year battle with breast cancer. Even more, perhaps, than weeping cherries. Bleeding Hearts are a beautiful plant. This one is one of a group of seven I planted in my own side yard and is not part of The Virginia Thurston Healing Garden that was created to help women battling this disease. Audio: Bleeding Hearts Right click to save as... If you'd like to save the audio quote

Weeping Cherry

Weeping Cherries along with Bleeding Hearts remind me of my Mother and the battle she endured for 7 years it took breast cancer to take her away. Her joy was gardening. For almost 40 years she created a series of gardens on an eight acre area surrounding the house I grew up in. When she passed, My Father gave 3½ acres of land adjacent to the gardens to a support center for woman with breast cancer. He named it the Virginia Thurston Healing Garden. It is run as a 501c non-profit and other than the paid administration, it is staffed ...

Dish Garden

May 15, 2010 by Mark Thurston
Filed under Breast Cancer Garden

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The garden is not really a garden. It is a group of gardens that as a whole make up ‘The Healing Garden’. There are really 13 areas that in themselves could be considered to be a garden. *”As you tour the garden… you will see that is garden did not get done in a short time, nor at one time. It has been fun and the source and the source of a great deal of satisfaction.”

*-From a ‘Map to Areas in Thurston Gardens’ created for Garden Club tours in 1995

The general areas include: The parking area garden, driveway gardens, courtyard, work area, terrace, swimming pool, swing area, gazebo, overlook bench, fish pool, picnic area, day lily beds, dish garden, meditation garden and the woodland path.

This sundial is now in the ‘dish garden’ Originally the dish garden was called that because it was designed around and to hide, (or at least to make look as sculpture), a large satellite dish. The design was further complicated by the fact no vegetation could ‘pierce the beam’ for it to work correctly. The garden was to represent “Wind, Water, Sun and the Stars.” It was parabolic in shape to reflect the shape of the dish. In addition to the sundial, there was a water feature and a pink granite wind chime. Arborvitae used to help hide the dish were eaten by the local deer population. Star Gazer Lilies and Star Thrower Mountain Laurel enhance the theme for this area.

Audio: The Dish Garden
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Tags: Breast Cancer Garden, Breast Cancer Support, dish garden, healing garden, sundial

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I Have This Little Garden

The Meditation Garden

Day lily, Peony and Hosta Bed

The Fish Pool Garden

Dish Garden

Bleeding Hearts

Weeping Cherry

Dish Garden

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