101 Old Mason Farm Road – Hope Grows
Chapel Hill’s respite house opened in April 1988 as a “home-away-from-home” for families of seriously ill or injured children receiving care at area hospitals. Since then, it has sheltered and comforted over 40,000 families in 53 rooms.
Surrounded by structures on three sides, the modern, one-acre, interior courtyard garden was the generous gift of a philanthropic anonymous donor. It was designed and installed just two years ago by the renowned landscape architect Chip Callaway, as a serene oasis during one of life’s most harrowing times.
Enter the gate, note the stained glass above — “Hope Grows”. Prepare to be engaged, amused, challenged, humbled, and inspired. The garden’s well-chosen hardy plantings must provide year-round interest for sickness and injury know no season. The whimsical faux-grass menagerie, first showcased at the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show, elicits smiles and loving pats. A playground is well-integrated into the garden design. Native trees – maples, Indian Hawthorne, espaliered magnolia, and Columnar Sweetgums – offer shade, texture, and canopy. Annuals contribute repeated seasonal color and attract pollinators. Thousands of butterflies flit from flower to flower in the summer. Communal spaces encourage gathering and sharing. Multiple pocket gardens provide variety and a degree of privacy, whether dedicated to quiet meditation, fragrance, play, or performance. “Mookie” the sock monkey cow delights all ages. A large angel sculpture honors the volunteers who give deeply of themselves – “We Rise by Lifting Others”. Will you become a donor or volunteer, joining the Chapel Hill Garden Club in supporting this much-needed sanctuary?
Restrooms are available at this garden.
Highlighted Plants: (click on name for information on the plant)
Terrain: Some wheelchair access, Primarily level ground