Memorial Garden
Quinley’s Garden: A Memorial Garden is being planted as part of a River Heights City public park for all in need of connection and healing. We welcome you to come and find solace. Take in the beautiful view, landscaping, and art displays, or meet with family or bereavement groups.
The first features and plants are projected to be installed Fall 2024. Each feature of the memorial garden is being carefully cultivated for the mental wellness and healing of individuals in the community who have experienced any type of loss.
Opportunities to have a garden feature installed or a tree planted in memory of a loved one can be found on our donations page. We will post updates frequently on our social media so follow along to see our progress or join Friends of Quinley’s Garden to receive updates of how you can be involved.
The Memorial Garden will continue to have new features installed to promote hope and healing. At this stage the project has four main components to help with different aspects of grief.
Memorial Walk
Meander along a peaceful path while remembering your loved ones. Take deep cleansing breaths as you walk under arches with climbing flowering vines and pass alternating Royal Raindrop and Spring Snow crabapple trees between the arches. Stop and read the memorial plaques under the trees along the curving path. Scan QR codes on the plaques to read stories, look at pictures and get to know who was lost or remember your own loved ones. Take in the view of the valley and a christian temple while pondering your beliefs about life and death. The temporary season of the blossoms reminds one how fleeting and fragile life is while giving you hope knowing they will bloom again the next Spring. This process encourages inward reflection regarding your loss which can become all consuming or a catalyst for connection and creation.
Painting by Paige Payne
Inspiration Walk
As you pass under the final arch, you take your first steps on the Inspiration Walk. This path encourages one to channel their grief outward and connect through social interactions and artwork. The walk is lined with community art boards and benches inviting visitors to rest and converse. The boards display art with themes of loss, grief and growth created by community members. Songs or musical numbers are shared via QR codes. Our Memorial Art page and social media will archive the pieces. Visit them and encourage others by submitting messages sharing your impressions and encouragment. The art helps creators be contributors as they turn outward while also drawing strength from the community. This provides healing for themselves and observers alike. Remember to check the brochure racks under the largest art board for information about bereavement groups and notices regarding loss and grief. Contact us if you would like to advertise a group or service project you feel would benefit the community.
Photo by Nick Monsoor
Garden Beds of Hope and Healing
In the middle of the Inspiration Walk you will notice the Garden Beds of Hope and Connection surrounding a Gazebo. The floor of the gazebo is lined with paving stones engraved with the names of donor’s loved ones who have passed on. Benches inside the gazebo invite individuals or bereavement groups to come together and share memories, process their loss, and lift one another. Enjoy the flower beds surrounding the gazebo which have been planted and maintained by the community. Better yet, come and help us each year in the Spring or Fall and plant flowers in memory of a loved one. You can also join us each week to maintain the plants and experience the healing nature of gardening and community. Planting in memory of loved ones provides healing and hope as the seeds flourish and grow.
Butterfly Garden
As you enjoy the peace of the garden be on the look out for gentle butterflies. Two butterfly gardens grace the west side of the memorial garden. The butterfly is a visual reminder of how you can grow through your grief. The butterfly’s life cycle reminds us that death does not have to be the end. It can be a period of transformation which changes us into more empathetic, caring and gentle humans. A circular rock bed in the parking lot is filled with showy milkweed and other host plants for a variety of butterflies. Meander along the path in the shape of a butterfly wing in the large butterfly garden near the gazebo. If there are no butterflies, enjoy the rocks lining the path painted by the community. If the art on one of the rocks speaks to your heart, you are welcome to take it on the condition you create a new one to bring back and leave in its place.
River Heights City Park Plans with Memorial Features
The public park is located adjacent to the Providence City Cemetery at 875 Stewart Hill Drive, River Heights UT.
