If you write or plan to write your garden mission statement, please let me know; I plan to post the collection. Please include your Zone. My garden mission statement is at the end.
Most gardens start out innocently enough, and I’ll venture to say, never with the intent to having a garden worthy of naming. But then, till by till, hole by hole, plant by plant, raindrop by raindrop, we have created a mix, a garden, that is as unique as a snowflake. We look at our gardens with admiration, even when its an adolescence, not quite ready for the world, but with so much hope and promise. Only the caregiver can see it fully grown and ready to face the world.
After putting in so much time, effort, money, and love into a project, it becomes apart of you, it’s only natural to think of your garden in affectionate terms. Naming the garden also allows some reflection of you as to how you want your garden represented to others.
Without a name for your garden, and later a mission statement, we grapple for words to describe it to others. Taking a moment to identify your garden to yourself helps express it to others in an affectionate way, without being boastful, or worse, which is how I hear it most, in a not-so-worthy-way – especially when it is.
For the new year, I suggest you give your garden some deep 
thought. By doing so, you help to, not only identify yourself in relation to your garden, but elevate your garden’s status by naming it and then to concisely describing it by giving it a mission statement. Next time someone asks you to describe your garden, you can do so in a very concise manner.
It’s liberating, actually. Try it; you’ll see.
Whether you name the garden first and then write your mission statement next or the other way around, it doesn’t matter. Reflect on how you want others to view your garden. Free yourself of an identity crisis.
For my garden in Raleigh, North Carolina, Helen’s Haven, I don’t remember which came first, my garden’s name or mission statement. What I do know is, one day I wrote the merits of my garden. From there came the name, Helen’s Haven, and the mission statement.
Helen’s Haven, a garden for everyone
And for one’s own
Helen’s Haven was designed to be sustainable and a safe haven for the three B’s: birds, bees, butterflies and of course humans, especially kids.
A Purposeful Garden
Helen’s Haven, was designed as a place to admire wildlife and a place where children can stop their play to taste a fig ripened on the shrub; pop a cherry tomato in their mouth warmed from the sun, fresh from the vine, and of course, to stop to smell the roses. While Helen’s Haven is a tidy garden, it isn’t fussy. An errant ball in the borders is nothing to worry about, nor are kids cutting through the beds, rolling in the grass, or picking flowers for an impromptu arrangement or to spread petals along the driveway and paths. It was designed with my kids in mind.
A Wildlife Garden
Helen’s Haven is a certified wildlife garden by the National Wildlife Federation and a certified Monarch Waystation.
Plants are selected to attract and feed the birds, bees, and butterflies. This garden also provides feeding stations, nesting boxes and water. Many bees are attracted as pollinators, as well as, honey makers. For the butterflies, Helen’s Haven provides a dedicated host and nectar gardens filled with specific plants for the butterflies to lay their eggs, to feed larvae, to provide shelter to form chrysalis and to sip nectar as an adult.
An Organic Garden
An organic garden, Helen’s Haven uses no chemical herbicides, pesticides, or fungicides. If needed, only organic products are used.
Composed leaf mulch is used generously, retaining water, maintaining a consistent root temperature, improving soil texture, suppressing weeds, and looks great. In fact, very little weeding is necessary in Helen’s Haven. This mulch is replenished on a grand scale annually in the winter and on an as needed basis throughout the year in areas disturbed from adding new plantings and such.
A Waterwise Garden
A waterwise design, Helen’s Haven uses only harvested rainwater collected and stored in two 250 gallon reservoirs and four 80 gallon satellite storage units. With three zones, oasis, transitional and xeric, plants are chosen to flourish in each respective zone. There are also xeric plants in oasis zones and vice versa; however, no special treatment is given to these plants. If, in a given year, nature cares for them, that’s fine, if not, that’s fine as well.
The sign on the mail box reads “A Waterwise Garden, Watered with Harvested Rain.” The tall fescue grass is allowed to go dormant during the absence of rain – affectionally known as going “Dormant for the Moment.”
Sharing Helen’s Haven with Others
Helen’s Haven opens to garden clubs, schools and other educational groups and for the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days tour. 
Giving Back
Helen serves on the JC Raulston Arboretum Board of Advisors, represents the Garden Conservancy’s Open Days tour, leads the volunteer committees to maintain the JCRA Viburnum, Winter, and Butterfly gardens. Helen also serves on other committees to raise money for horticultural interest, including conceiving and starting the annual Sensational Seasonal Celebrations parties across the state to benefit the JCRA.
GARDEN MISSION STATEMENT
Helen’s Haven is a sustainable, wildlife habitat, created to attract and feed birds, bees, butterflies and for the enjoyment of friends, family, and visitors to educate, enjoy, and to understand we are the earth’s caretakers, so let’s take care.
Helen’s Haven is a half acre garden – more garden areas than grass. Even with 20 cubic yards and laying the mulch 3 inches thick, I could have used more. I suspected this, so I went about prioritizing the areas to receive it. As such, I’m OK in the areas that didn’t get it. Without this planning, I would have just ran out and, no doubt, would have needed some more in important areas just to finish up.
Merry Christmas and Kissmas to all!
