Growing Serenity: The Volunteers Behind the Hospice Healing Garden
October 06, 2025
Every Monday from May to September, if you pass the Red Deer Hospice on a sunny evening, you’ll find a small group of friends with dirty knees, tools in hand, and smiles on their faces.
Behind the beautiful Hospice Garden, is a small but mighty volunteer group— Alida, Barb, Kelly, Alfred, Joy, Mark, Brian, Lynn and Frieda. They are neighbors, gardeners, and hobbyists who have taken on the quiet but powerful task of caring for the memorial garden. The garden isn’t just a patch of flowers. It’s a Healing Garden, a special designation recognizing its role as a place of reflection, comfort, and peace. Families, staff and community members come here to grieve, remember, or simply breathe and experience a moment of calm.
How it began
About 16 years ago, volunteer Alida’s father passed away at the hospice. A year later, she visited the memorial plaque she had placed for her father, and found the space was overgrown and neglected. “It broke my heart,” she recalls. “I knew we could do better to honor the people remembered here.” That was the spark that created the Hospice Garden Volunteer Group, and it has blossomed ever since.
Some members, like Alfred—who worked for decades at Parkland Nursery—bring years of horticultural expertise. Others are here to learn as they go, like Joy, who is currently going through a master gardening program. And many, like Barb and Kelly, simply joined because they love gardening and wanted to help.
“People think they don’t have enough skills,” says Barb. “But we teach each other. How to deadhead properly, when to prune, how to collect seeds—it’s all part of the fun.”
The group takes care of everything: planting, weeding, trimming, edging, moving mulch, and maintaining the memorial plants. Over the years they’ve added new flower beds, benches, and pathways through the help of the Hospice and donations from the community. In the off-season, Kelly and Alida spend countless hours finding the perfect plants and colour combinations to add serenity and beauty.
While the flowers bring beauty, the heart of this group is friendship. Volunteers often share photos of their grandchildren right alongside snapshots of their favorite blooms. They laugh, swap stories, and lean on each other through the rhythm of planting seasons and personal milestones. “It’s not just about gardening,” Alfred says. “It’s about the social connection, the learning, and the satisfaction of seeing families enjoy the space.”
Always room for more hands
The group welcomes volunteers of all ages—teenagers, retirees, and everyone in between. “We could use some younger spring chickens,” Alida laughs. “Many volunteers have come and go, but everyone seems to mesh together, no matter how the group has evolved over the years.” Even those with no experience are invited – they'll train you. “You’ll learn, make friends, and be part of something that truly matters,” Alida adds.
The Hospice Healing Garden is living proof of what happens when ordinary people come together for an extraordinary purpose. This group has been instrumental in ensuring this garden remains a sanctuary where memories thrive and families find comfort.
“Their care and commitment ensure this space remains a sanctuary of peace and reflection for families during some of life’s most difficult moments. We are deeply grateful for the countless hours they give—it is their love and hard work that make the garden such a valued part of our hospice community,” says Jackie Van Langen, Interim Executive Director of the Red Deer Hospice.
If you love being outdoors, want to learn about gardening, or simply want to give back in a meaningful way, consider joining the Hospice Garden Volunteer Group—or even starting one in your own community. You don’t need to be a master gardener. You just need a willing heart.
Because in the end, it’s not just about growing plants. It’s about growing peace, comfort, and memories for everyone who passes through the garden.