Workin in Rain - Monday April 28th

We really wanted to get the next group of plants in the ground before the forecasted 3 days of rain hit, but the storm didn't wait for us.

However, we are tough mountain folk.  Pretending that it was just a light rain, Cindy,  John, Pat, Vera, and Marti planted 9 Red-twig Dogwood and 6 Spice Bushes. The very steady rain did a job on us, and after an hour to complete the planting, we were a bunch of mud rats. The good news is that the plants are in the ground and getting a good soaking by Mother Nature.

Let Marti (szczurm@gmail.com) know, if you'd like to participate in our Garden Work days.  Sure is fun! We'll try to select dry days from now on!

Wintergreen Reflection Garden Guidelines

Guidelines for Wintergreen Reflection Garden - April 2014

A “Reflection Garden” is in the process of being designed and constructed by a group of Wintergreen volunteers, in collaboration with WPOA, on a piece of wooded property located behind the Chestnut Springs Picnic and Pool area.  Landscaping with native plants, rocks and benches will provide a place of peace and space for reflection on Wintergreen owners or employees who have passed on.  The project will require the purchase of a certain materials, such as soil, mulch, river stones, plants, benches, signage.  Contributions can be made to support the overall effort and/or to memorialize a specific person.  The Wintergreen Mountain Women website will provide a link to a webpage about the Reflection Garden’s progress; identify those memorialized through gifts; and list donors to the garden.  Other opportunities to communicate this project may include the mountain, valley and WPOA newsletters.

1.     Inclusion Parameters

•           Any Wintergreen owner, former owner, extended family member and WPOA and Resort employees can be memorialized through specific selected opportunities.  (Please no pets at this time.)
•           Naming Opportunities

-        Stone garden benches engraved with name of deceased 

-        Memory stones engraved with name of deceased  

-        Donors/sponsors will be recognized on the website, but not at the garden.

2.     General Funding Opportunities

•          General donations can be made in any amount to be applied to general expenses (e.g., buy river rocks, native landscape plants and shrubs, signage, mulch) as identified by the Reflection Garden Plan.  These donors will be recognized on a website, but not at the garden.
•           Cindy Coy will serve as “treasurer” during the planning and implementation phase.  Cash or checks are acceptable. Checks should be made out to Cindy Coy with a notation that it is for the ‘Wintergreen Reflection Garden’.
•            Since there is no nonprofit organization associated with the project, this cannot be considered a tax-deductible charitable donation within the guidelines of the IRS.

3.     Administration/Oversight

•         A steering committee with 6-8 volunteers will serve as points-of-contact and oversight of implementation and maintenance. Duties will include (but not be limited to) developing garden design, scheduling implementation and maintenance, approving of plant materials and garden elements, managing process for memory stone requests/engraving, providing an account of funds/expenses, and administering webpage with information about garden and donors.
•           Marti Szczur will serve as initial chair of the steering committee with volunteer members being Cindy Coy, Pat Thompson, Lynn Luessen, Bob Scott, and Jill Toop.

    For more information, contact Committee Chair Marti Szczur (szczurm@gmail.com) 

Before-Garden Photos

Here is photo of location of garden area taken in Fall of 2013 before landscaping began.

  With the help of WPOA, boulders with "character" are placed in center of Garden.  

Cindy Coy and Pat Thompson show them off.

Beginnings of the Reflection Garden

In 2013, a group of residents, who live in the Blue Ridge Mountains and within the Wintergreen Resort, decided to design and construct a Wintergreen “Reflection Garden,” which will provide a place of peace and space for reflection on Wintergreen owners or employees who have passed on. 

We are working in collaboration with the Wintergreen Property Owners Association (WPOA), and the Garden is located behind the Chestnut Springs Pavilion and Pool.

Landscaping will include woodland plants, rocks and benches. WPOA has been incredibly supportive in providing site clearing, soil, planting of privacy trees, and mulch. The project will require the purchase of certain materials, such as river stones, plants, benches, and signage. 

To pay for the landscaping, we are accepting contributions. After Phase 1 of the garden landscaping is completed (summer 2014), we will provide a means for memorializing individuals. Any Wintergreen owner, former owner, extended family member, plus WPOA and Resort employees can be memorialized through 3-5” memory river stones. The stones will be engraved with the deceased’s name and placed among smaller stones encircling the center boulders. Details about how to purchase memory river stones for the Garden will be provided later this year.

As of today, we have developed a conceptual garden plan and guidelines; cleared the garden area; placed boulders in the central area; planted 12 privacy White Pines, 2 Serviceberry, 3 Kousa dogwoods, 9 red-twig dogwoods and 6 Spice Bushes.

Next steps include planting of the border berms, laying river stones around center boulders, and mulching the path and open central area.