BRATTLEBORO — Brattleboro Area Hospice presents a fundraising event for these socially distant times: a virtual garden tour of one of the area's most lovely gardens, featured in the October issue of Martha Stewart Living and the Sept. 16 issue of Gardens Illustrated.
The 44-minute video tour with homeowner Rita Ramirez and collaborating gardeners, Helen O'Donnell and Laurie Merrigan, takes viewers on a leisurely and informative stroll through the picturesque and eclectic East Dummerston garden.
“We were very disappointed that we couldn't have our usual garden party fundraiser this summer due to the pandemic,” Susan Parris, executive director of Brattleboro Area Hospice, said in a news release. “But then we came up with this idea for a virtual tour and Rita, Helen, and Laurie were enthusiastic, so we went for it!”
Property owner Ramirez has been working with O'Donnell and Merrigan for about eight years on these gardens. She describes their work relationship as wholly collaborative, and the three have become good friends over the years.
“Rita's a wonderful homeowner to work with because she's game for whatever we want to try out in terms of new plants” said O'Donnell, who is part owner of the Bunker Farm, a family-run farm that produces naturally pasture-raised meats, specialty annual and perennial flowers, and maple syrup in East Dummerston.
Brattleboro Area Hospice provides a broad range of services for living and dying well, focusing on end-of-life, bereavement, and advance-care planning. The agency's programs reflect the community's values of kindness, decency, and dignity. Founded in 1979 on the belief that no one should die alone, the organization and its staff are dedicated to offering all services free.