WASHINGTON GARDENER
stress disorder (PTSD) and other brain injuries by filling in the gaps conventional medicine can’t reach, said Frederick Foote, project ad - ministrator. By combining holistic and conventional medicine, Foote hopes to find a cure for PTSD. As of now, access to the Green Road requires applying with the base or asking one of the project’s team members, but Foote hopes that does not remain the case. The team is working to make it easier for nature-lovers to experience the garden, he said. Foote wants the Green Road to serve as a model for other military hospitals to follow. Other people can also benefit from the healing ef - fects of nature, such as inmates, urban populations, and communities under stress, he added.“In many cases, nature can be the answer for healing the stresses of modern life,” Foote said. The ravine also features benches with weatherproof journals for visitors to write in. Flipping through those pages, it becomes easy to see the power the Green Road has to offer. “I sit here in awe enjoying the sounds of nature,” one service mem - ber writes. “As I am listening, I can’t help but think about all of my fallen brothers, warriors who wait in Valhalla for me to join them. I am blessed to be able to still breathe, think, live and love.” Location: 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20889 Garden of Reflection and Remembrance Next to the Memorial Chapel at the University of Maryland in Col - lege Park, MD, is the Garden of Reflection and Remembrance, another project that the TKF Foundation helped fund. The entrance to the garden is to the left of the front of the chapel, where you can find a path that guides you through the area. Near the entrance is a rectangular fountain surrounded by three benches, as well as vibrant foliage and colorful flowers. While the space is often used by university students, staff, and fac - ulty, other people in the community enjoy the garden just as much. Community service events that center on gardening are also held there. “The goal of the garden is to provide a lovely and comforting setting that feels inclusive of all people on campus,” said Karen Petroff, assis - tant director of arboretum/horticultural services at the University of Maryland. A container filled with stones sits by the labyrinth’s entrance for visitors to mindfully take and leave at the center of the winding path. Like the Green Road, this garden also has benches with journals for visitors to write down their thoughts, concerns, wishes, or just about anything else. A contemplative labyrinth lies at the end of the garden. Inspired by a community outpouring after 9/11, this garden was
Spring has sprung and summer is coming with its righteous color of flowers and fruits, yet we have suffered so much loss lately it is hard to find solace among the cheerful blooms. After two years of COVID, many beloved members of our community are gone and we feel their loss so deeply. We will keep their memories alive in our hearts. In another example of loss this season, my beloved kitty Versace passed away suddenly from a blood clot. His adopted cat brother San - tino and I buried him recently under a bench next to my water garden. I thought this would be the perfect spot for him to rest in peace be - cause he loved watching birds through the window and this spot is one where they gather in large numbers to enjoy the pond. I know many of you have picked out special spots in your own gar - dens to memorialize your treasured pet companions. Perhaps it is marked with a special stone, statue, or plaque. Maybe a certain plant denotes the spot. No matter the place marker, these sacred places help us remember and heal. If you don’t have a gardening space of your own, several public spaces in our region also have healing and meditation gardens you can visit. Here are a few suggestions: The Green Road Project The ravine, or healing garden, of the Green Road Project lies in the midst of a sprawling campus at Naval Support Activity, Bethesda, MD, home of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Funded partially by a grant from the TKF Foundation (https://naturesacred. org/) and sponsored by The Institute for Integrative Health, this proj - ect was created to help heal veterans suffering from post-traumatic The Healing Power of Memorial Gardens BY KATHY JENTZ AND ROSIE KEAN
PROUDLY GROWN AND CRAFTED IN Maryland
HIGH-QUALITY CBD PRODUCTS From our Maryland family to yours
dedicated nine years later in 2010. At the time of the attacks, the communi- ty needed support. “It became appar - ent that a garden — a place of healing, a place of solace, a place of reflection — was very much needed on cam- pus,” Petroff explained. The garden has a strong focus on community and remembrance, and she added, “This is where the community comes to re- member — that unity in such a beau- tiful spot can be so healing in and of itself.” Location: 1101 Memorial Chapel, College Park, MD 20742; www.chap - el.umd.edu/garden.php
raw honey soaks topicals gummies extracts pet cbd www.fiddlersgreen.io
Pet memorial; Photo credit: Kathy Jentz
64—PATHWAYS—Summer 22
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online