I’m starting this blog as the installation of the garden begins, but the idea for the garden, the planning, and the preparation, have taken me on quite a journey this past several months. This journey is something I will detail in the first several posts.

This garden is being created for our children, that they may know nature and feel connected to it. In order to ensure that children become tomorrow’s stewards of our natural environment, we must create connections today. How can children love and protect nature if they don’t know it, know it only through a screen, or worse yet, fear it? And yet, while young children are the primary focus of this garden, it will be a place for everyone. The garden will be a place to find beauty, respite, healing, and whimsy, no matter your age or physical limitations. The garden is a gift, being built by many hands and many people who believe in the power of nature and the spirit of community.

But First, A Thank You
The gratitude that I feel toward those who have made it all possible is immense: From the UConn faculty who supported my vision of a cognitive garden, to those in the community who have offered materials, labor, creativity, and support, I am personally indebted. And to my friends and family who believe in me and continue to give me courage as I embark upon something at the far reaches of my capabilities and that challenges me as an individual, a gardener, and a designer.

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