Welcome to the Olivia White Hospice Home Gardens
The gardens surrounding the home were created for all who find themselves here. The history below reflects the many hands that have worked in the gardens. The volunteer gardeners have worked to create a quiet, peaceful place to experience alone or with those you love. The garden design enhances the sensory experience. You can hear zipping hummingbirds, water fountains, and the sound of wind chimes. It is a place to stop and smell the roses or the soothing fragrance of lavender. The many vegetables and herbs grown allow residents and staff to taste the gifts of nature. You can feel the gentle embrace of the wind and touch the soft leaves of lamb’s ear or bunny tail grass along with other more prickly plants in a ‘touch pot’. Another design consideration was providing universal access to all visitors and special beds/pots that allow interested residents to participate in gardening. Sitting and standing raised beds, and ‘sensory pots’ accessible to wheelchairs are enjoyed by many residents. Peace to all who enter…

History
The gardens were started by Norm Erickson, a hospice volunteer, before the home was built in 2001, on the corner of Switzer Canyon and Turquoise where the Olivia White sign is found. Norm also created the gardens directly in front of the home. In 2001 Laura Davis, a master gardener, began designing and planning for the gardens that surround the home. The first project was to lay the cement pathway which was done by NAU’s Construction Management class led by Dave Grider. A flagstone patio was created east of the home by Joanie Abbott of Foxglove Gardening with the help of Heber Trunnel. The first two plantings by the master gardeners included an Inferno Strip on Switzer Canyon led by Tara Crampton, and a Rose Garden led by Hattie Braun with a large donation of roses by Bill Brechan. Coconino County Park and Recreation at Fort Tuthill donated many truckloads of compost, and Bill Eichinger used his bobcat to help edge with rocks the gardens you see today. In 2004 a core of master gardeners and hospice volunteers (Loni Shapiro, Karen Kent, Cynthia Katte, David Hockman and Nancy Palmer) joined Laura and began creating the many gardens here today. Marcia Lamkin, Leslie Penick and Elsie Ellis joined later, and today there is a core group of 10 regular gardeners. They are supported by many other master gardener and hospice volunteers along with church groups, scout troops, AmeriCorp, Grand Canyon Youth Corp, NAU, CCC, Coconino High School, Coconino County Adult Probation Community Service, Upward Bound, and businesses throughout Flagstaff. Warner’s Landscape and Nursery needs to be singled out for their continuing support for the gardens since their inception with yearly fundraisers and discounts on plant and hard scape materials. In 2006 the gazebo designed by Jill Morris was completed with the help of Terry Payne and John Adams, from Christ’s Church, and Loven Contracting. John Adams along with the help of the Sunshine Lion’s Club finished it with a brick pathway.

The gardens continue to evolve each year. Some have already been altered from the original plan, such as the Rose Garden. In addition, many other trees, shrubs, plants and hard scape items have been donated. A list of donors is located in the library of the Olivia White Home. The library also includes a binder of all the roses found in our garden (over 40). On the back of this is a map completed under the direction of Cynthia Katte and Kathy Pate that includes the location of most of the gardens and the special features.

Donations/Volunteering
To help raise funds for the garden a “Wish List” is provided in the home. It includes yearly needs as well as special projects. Our main fundraiser to help pay for materials and water is memorial bricks (brochures available in the home). In addition, we sell note cards made from original paintings of the garden, photo note cards and bookmarks made from pressed flowers. All can be found on the table in the entry of the home. We are always looking for new volunteers to help in the garden. Our weekly garden activities during the year can be found on the master gardener blog at, highelevationgardening.arizona.edu, or by contacting Loni Shapiro, Garden Coordinator, at maxmaddy@infomagic.net.

Gardens and Special Features