Passion Project

Two of Angela Hospice’s volunteers have given our patients and families a wonderful gift: a beautiful butterfly garden on the grounds of the Angela Hospice Care Center. It’s meant to be more than just something pretty to look at. It’s a place to experience nature in a way that can soothe the soul.

(Like most of our selfless volunteers, these two weren’t looking for any recognition when they made this generous gesture, and in fact, they wish to remain anonymous. So let’s call them Oliver and Eve.)

It was Oliver who first had the idea for a butterfly garden. He had been reading about native plants, and one day when he was working at the Care Center, the idea struck him: what about installing a butterfly garden at Angela Hospice?

“If you’ve ever had something really sad happen in your life and you’re kind of just sitting there contemplating it, you notice the simplest things, things you never would have noticed before,” Oliver said. “And I think that’s what gives you peace. That’s what I hope this does.

“People can just sit there and reflect. And if they see a bee hopping flower to flower, or a hummingbird, or a butterfly…it’s the little, simple things when you’re sad and you’re grieving. Sometimes those things give you comfort.”

Plymouth Nursery designed the garden in the shape  

of butterfly wings.

When Oliver presented his idea, it was met with enthusiasm and gratitude. With approval to pursue the project, Oliver and Eve hired Plymouth Nursery to come up with a design.

“The whole time I’d been kind of thinking about it and praying on it that somebody from Plymouth Nursery knows about Angela Hospice,” Oliver said, “So I don’t have to try to explain the special feeling this place has.”

He was delighted when he met Vicki from Plymouth Nursery and she told him, “I’ve got a history with this whole area.” She went on to tell them that when she was giving her thesis presentation for her MBA at Madonna, Sister Giovanni (Angela Hospice’s foundress) was giving her presentation on hospice at the same time. Vicki said she was inspired by Sister, knowing how many people would be helped by her vision.

“I thought, ‘Well, there you go. Prayers are answered,'” Oliver said.

When Vicki and her team got to working on the plan for the butterfly garden, they came up with a design in the shape of butterfly wings. Eve and Oliver loved the design and when a paved pathway was added, they knew it would be a special place for patients and families to visit.

Oliver captured this photo of a Monarch butterfly in
the garden.

“My aunt always smelled roses, which would remind her of her daughter that died,” Eve said. “I think even the smells and the sights are triggering for people…. hopefully they enjoy sitting out there and looking, and then reflecting on somebody that they love.”

And if visitors should see a butterfly while they’re there, “It’s kind of like when you see a ray of sunshine,” Eve said. “It just puts you in a good frame of mind.”

The garden is positioned just outside the Care Center’s A-Wing. It features many perennials, including hydrangeas, rose of Sharon, and butterfly bushes that will attract butterflies, bumble bees, and hummingbirds.

Angela Hospice is grateful to Eve and Oliver, who used their passions and resources to create a peaceful place to bring comfort and beauty to others.

These photos were taken in the garden. Click on a photo to enlarge it.

Rose of Sharon

A Monarch caterpillar

Shasta Daisy

Bumble bee on a Veronica plant