This is how the "Spinning Garden" was born

The story behind the birth of "The Garden of Spinning"
Donate to the "Tsumigi Garden Maintenance Donation"

The story behind the birth of "The Garden of Spinning"

We wanted to provide everyone with a place of comfort... This is how "Tsumigi Garden" was born.

Before its construction, the pedestrian deck (hereafter referred to as the promenade) in front of the hospital was deserted, with only tree circles (flower beds) where the pine trees had died and their roots were exposed, and rotting benches here and there.

^{The promenade in front of the hospital before renovation}

^{A tree circle with exposed pine roots}

With the 5th hospital development plan as an opportunity, the Tsukuba Medical Center (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation) has turned its attention to the promenade in front of the hospital, creating a space that is accessible to patients, their families, and the local community."We want to provide a place of comfort"With this wish in mind, in April 2008 we obtained permission from Tsukuba city and began construction of a promenade in cooperation with the nonprofit organization Tsukuba Urban Gardening (TUG).
Then, we proceeded with weeding, preparing the soil, designing the flower beds, arranging for flower seedlings, and so on, and finally the day of planting the first flowers arrived. Although only five flower beds were replanted, patients were soon seen relaxing on the beautifully reborn promenade.

^{Yoshitaka Nakata, former representative director, planting the trees}

Furthermore, we felt a strong desire to fill the promenade in front of the hospital with flowers and create more places of "peace" and "rest," but this would require large-scale construction work. Therefore, we proposed applying for the "Green Design Award" (Dai-ichi Life, Urban Greening Fund).
The purpose of this award is to "create a green urban environment," and as a secondary prize, construction costs are subsidized. Therefore, the corporation decided to apply for this award, and with the cooperation of Professor Takashi Hasumi and Professor Kazuyoshi Watanabe, TUG personnel, students of the "Art and Design Producing Seminar" at Tsukuba University, Takamitsu Ogino (first-class architect, completed master's course at Tsukuba University), Shinichi Okada Architects (in charge of new construction and renovation design at TMC), and other personnel from various fields joined the "Tsumugi Garden" study group.
In October 2008, he won the Greening Grand Prize and used the prize money toThe current "Spinning Garden" was created.　

^{April 2009: Replanting with staff and volunteers}

The Birth of "The Spinning Garden"

The reason for the existence of the "Tsumigi Garden" - to be a place for communication and to embrace the healing power of flowers

The "Spinning Garden" is filled with flowers that bloom in every season. On sunny days, you can often see patients strolling through the garden with staff.
We often receive comments from local residents such as, "What a beautiful flower is this? What kind of flower is it?" and "It smells so nice, I wonder where it's coming from...", and some people even take pictures with their smartphones.

Also, every June, under the guidance of the TUG staff, patients and staff make lavender sticks together using lavender blooming in the "Spinning Garden." Since hospitalized patients are in the closed space of being "hospitalized," even if only temporarily, they can feel connected to the community by taking a step outside and making things, and use this as a place to interact and refresh their mind. These lavender sticks are displayed in the hospital entrance and other areas, providing healing scents to visitors.

^{Staff and patients take a walk in the spinning garden}

We received the following letter from a hospitalized patient who had seen the flowers in the spinning garden. (Excerpt)

Even now, more than ten years after its creation, the Spinning Garden remains a garden that brings peace to everyone.

As a social role...

The Spinning Garden also receives help from people at employment support facilities.
If you continue to use the same soil, it will lose its nutrients. Therefore, we mix fertilizers and nutrients into the soil to regenerate it, and in the past, they also watered the flower beds, and they help us with a variety of tasks.
For those at employment support facilities, the Spinning Garden also serves as a way for them to feel connected to the community.

In order to continue protecting the "Tsumigi Garden", we need your ongoing support.

In order to protect the Spinning Garden, our organization replants the plants twice a year (in spring and autumn).
In order to keep the garden beautiful, overall maintenance is essential.The annual maintenance costs are approximately 200 million yen.
In addition, since the garden was created, it will be necessary to spend money on overall maintenance, such as pruning any flowers that have overflowed from the flower beds and large trees that have grown over the years.

Additionally, in recent years, the seats of the benches have become corroded due to aging, which is damaging the relaxing environment.
The octagonal pergola covered in star jasmine, which had provided soothing fragrance every year, had its wooden frame corroded, and the top part had to be cut off in November 8, leaving a sad looking landscape.

As a corporation, we would like to continue to do our utmost to improve the environment as much as possible.

We ask that you all understand the significance of the existence of the "Spinning Garden," and provide your ongoing support so that we can continue to protect the "Spinning Garden." Please lend us your support.

Donate to the "Spinning Garden Renovation Donation Fund"

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