Newton Kansan
Kidron Bethel Village will start a new growth project though this project is not about adding on to the retirement community to house more people. This one is about growing plants and adding a new garden and playground to the campus.
“Everyone is excited about this opportunity. I have gotten a lot of responses back asking how people can help,” saidKevin Geraci, Kidron Bethels executive director of independent living and fund advancement.
Kidron Bethel Village is launching a fundraising campaign to develop “Kinder Peace Gardens.” The gardens are being designed to welcome visitors and families from the area, as well as to provide intergenerational interaction with Kidron Bethel residents.
The first phase of the project is expected to cost $150,000 and be located on the west side of Ivy Drive, just north of Bluestem. It will include seating areas, fire and water features, and flowers and plantings.
“We will have a covered area that will house 15 to 20 people,” Geraci said. “It will be there for prayer groups, or groups to picnic on the campus.”
Geraci said the final plans are not complete, but maintenance and landscaping staff will design a garden area with an eye on keeping maintenance to a minimum. Volunteers will be used to assist in the planting process, which is expected to begin in spring of 2014.
The second phase, “Kinder Gardens and Playground,” will be just west of Phase I. The second phase will incorporate playground equipment and programming geared toward children and adults exploring the natural world together. Plans for involving children from ages 3 through fifth-grade include imaginative, hands-on art and learning projects, story times and play dates. Instructional topics will be related to thematic elements of the gardens plant and animal life.
“It’s designed around education. We want to have a presence of people who have horticultural and agricultural backgrounds to be part of this. When we introduce this to the kids, it will not be just a playground or park it will have an educational component with it,” Geraci said.
Several clubs also are planned in conjunction with the Kinder Peace Garden, and membership is open to the public. The Garden Club will provide support for garden maintenance, and there will be opportunities for members to assist with weeding and other tasks. An Educational Club will incorporate learning activities led by Kidron Bethel Village residents and other volunteers.
The Kinder Fund will support playground maintenance and intergenerational learning. Maintenance and overall expenses for the gardens will be provided by the Bluestem Society membership fund.
“Im looking forward to sharing this beautiful garden with the greater community,” said Kidron Bethel Village resident and Master Gardener Rosie Goering Brandt, “and to having families visit our campus to experience this imaginative garden setting. It also will be a place of meditation, to feel the strength and the power of God.”
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