Bethany
Good Samaritan 804 Wright Street
Village Brainerd, Mn 56401
November 20, 2002
Words of Praise for WoodSpirit Water Gardens
Of Backus, MN
Over two years have passed since I began working with Daniel and Thomas Dix of WoodSpirit Gardens on a plan to create a Healing Garden here at Bethany. We started with a wish to create a peaceful refuge for our residents, families, and staff, a place where folks could go to refresh their spirits and engage their senses in the beauty of creation. After months of planning, fund-raising, and physical labor, we now have a smoothly paved meandering walkway that provides visitors with an opportunity to rest under a vine-covered arbor, pray within the shelter of a pine, listen to the birds, inhale the fresh scent of mint, reminisce by an old fishing boat, hear a splashing waterfall, feed the brightly colored fish, and even watch the tall corn grow. Our garden is a whimsical delight, full of surprising textures, shapes, and colors. Frequent visitors remark that they enjoy discovering new treasures each time they stroll along the paths. On top of all that, the garden is designed to be relatively low maintenance, as gardens go.
Dan and Tom Dix are the reason our garden is such an inviting place. They took an ordinary and unused section of lawn which was sheltered on three sides by our facility, and they designed and built an above-ground water garden, a dry stream bed, a perennial and vegetable garden, and garden “rooms” which became gathering space for residents and their families throughout this past spring, summer, and fall. Dan and Tom had the ability to discern what our residents missed from their own home gardens, and they incorporated many of these elements into their planting plans. And they listened well. One resident chatted about her favorite color of tulips; a man mentioned his longing for corn and pumpkins; and within days Tom and Dan had those bulbs and seeds planted! Still another resident grieved the death of a family member and asked is she could plant a rose bush in his memory, all these requests and more were incorporated into a living design which touched the hearts of all of us here at Bethany.
Dan and Tom Dix were creative, responsive, hard-working, and reliable. Whenever we had a question or a concern, they answered us immediately and efficiently. However, we grew to value in them something that was more intangible than their excellent work ethic. Dan and Tom love what they do and it shows! They believe in the life sustaining merit of a garden, and they will go the extra mile to enhance a space as well as the people who inhabit it. Their caring demeanor with our residents and family members was inviting and engaging. Donors were eager to support a design that reflected a concern for their fragile family members, and as the gifts came in, we knew that our Healing Garden had become much more than just a fertile plot of ground. Because Dan and Tom understood our resident’s needs, they created a garden that yielded flowers and vegetables, yes; but they also planted seeds of contentment, discovery, and joy. Those seeds will be treasured for many years to come.
It has been a pleasure to work with Dan and Tom Dix, and we here at Bethany look forward to their continued help as our garden grows. The gentleman who asked for the corn and pumpkins is convinced we’ll have to plant many more rows next summer! The garden has given this man every reason to heal and to thrive, and that hope is the very best part of our garden.
Sincerely,
Rev. Lilja Behr, Chaplain
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