Gardens of Hope || A garden growing in support of others needing respi

Snowshoeing in the Gardens of Hope

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Katherine MacLaine

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Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. —Lao Tzu

The Gardens of Hope Respite Cottage

Posted on December 13, 2020 by Bruce MacNaughton

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In 2004, a vision was created to form The Country Gardens Foundation of Hope, Inc. large part of its vision is to build a “Respite Cottage” within the Gardens of Hope located in New Glasgow, PEI. These spacious 12 acre gardens were created for Islanders and visitors alike to enjoy the natural beauty of Prince Edward Island. An old Catholic Chapel called St. Joseph's , located at the entrance to the National Park in Cavendish, was moved to its present location within the Gardens of Hope.

With the renovations now complete, the “Respite Cottage” is a place of rest, hope and renewed spirit. The cottage is made available for individuals, families, or caregivers coping with the effects of a life threatening illness. It is also made available to caregivers and those ministering to others who themselves are experiencing compassion fatigue.

The Purpose of The Respite Cottage

Our hope and prayer is that the garden setting of the Respite Cottage will allow those who visit or stay to be ministered to by nature's beauty.

The cottage provides a warm and comfortable environment. It is a space designed for peace and tranquility.

Who Can Use The Cottage?

Individuals who are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and are well enough to travel are welcome to stay at The Cottage for up to one week.

Caregivers and those ministering to others who themselves are experiencing compassion fatigue.

Non-Profit human service organizations for small gatherings or meetings.

Facilities

Gathering Around the Fireplace

View of the Kitchen from Loft Bedroom

Dining Room

Quilted Comforts

The Cottage is wheelchair accessible.

The Cottage is able to sleep 6-7 individuals comfortably.

Two washrooms; one fully wheelchair accessible.

Fireplace, Open Kitchen, Decks.

Dishes and bedding provided.

When Is the Cottage Available?

The Cottage is available year round.

Please make your inquiries here: bruce@preservecompany.com or shirley@preservecompany.com

Thank you for your interest.

Lovely October in the Gardens of Hope

Posted on October 15, 2020 by Katherine MacLaine

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"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." ~ John Muir

September Stroll in the Gardens of Hope

Posted on September 03, 2020 by Katherine MacLaine

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June Blooms in the Gardens of Hope

Posted on June 05, 2020 by Katherine MacLaine

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"There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy." ~ Ralph H. Blum

Spring Walk in the Gardens of Hope

Posted on May 08, 2020 by Katherine MacLaine

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Welcoming November in the Gardens of Hope

Posted on November 01, 2019 by Bruce MacNaughton

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Welcoming November in the Gardens of Hope

July in the Gardens of Hope

Posted on July 27, 2019 by Bruce MacNaughton

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Gardens are “an expression of faith” and “the embodiment of hope,” wrote the revered English landscape architect Russell Page in his memoir, “The Education of a Gardener,” in 1962.

Landscape, designed or wild, facilitates human health and well-being.

If you thought of your life as a garden, what areas could use a little more watering? Weeding?

Solitude is the garden for our hearts, which yearn for love. It is the place where our aloneness can bear fruit. It is the home for our restless bodies and anxious minds. Solitude, whether it is connected with a physical space or not, is essential for our spiritual lives. Henri Nouwen

"That beautiful season the Summer!

Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light;

and the landscape

Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood."

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"There is no season such delight can bring,

As summer, autumn, winter and the spring."

- William Browne, Variety, 1630

"Oh, the summer night

Has a smile of light

And she sits on a sapphire throne."

- Barry Cornwall

O, money can't buy the delights of the glen,

Nor Poetry sing all its charms:

There's a solace and calm ne'er described by the pen

When we're folded within Nature's arms!

~James Rigg, "Nutting Time," Wild Flower Lyrics and Other Poems, 1897

PS.

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Until it suddenly stopped making any progress and looked like it was stuck.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, although it had a swollen body and small, shrivelled wings.

The man didn’t think anything of it and sat there waiting for the wings to enlarge to support the butterfly. But that didn’t happen. The butterfly spent the rest of its life unable to fly, crawling around with tiny wings and a swollen body.

Despite the kind heart of the man, he didn’t understand that the restricting cocoon and the struggle needed by the butterfly to get itself through the small opening; were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings. To prepare itself for flying once it was out of the cocoon.

Moral of the story: Our struggles in life develop our strengths. Without struggles, we never grow and never get stronger, so it’s important for us to tackle challenges on our own, and not be relying on help from others.

With Love from Prince Edward Island,

Bruce