Quiet Gardens
“Come away with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Mark 6:31
Gardening and Healing: God’s Exquisite Plan
Welcome to Pleasant Aerie Quiet Gardens! (see more photos) These gardens have only been under my care since February, 2005 and are offered to you in affiliation with the Quiet Garden Trust (www.quietgardens.co.uk). The primary vision of the Quiet Garden movement is to initiate and resource a network of local opportunities for prayer, silence, reflection and the appreciation of beauty; for learning about (Christian) life and spirituality; and for experiencing creativity and healing in the context of God’s love.
You are welcome to stroll through the gardens, lean over and touch the soft lamb’s ears or smell the lavender or sit in 
contemplation at the newly completed Wall of Prayer. Meander down the hidden Lady’s Path, sit among the many sacred faces on the wall, meditate on one if the thought strikes you. You are in a safe, serene and sacred place that has been intentionally created just for these purposes.
Come, sit a spell, ponder and wonder; meditate and muse. Or just be quiet. Shhhh. Silence and prayer are yours here.
The gardens are a continual work in progress and are guarded with a watchful eye by the eager resident English Springer Spaniel, Lady Grace. You might be wise to keep this in mind as you wander about, even though I do try to keep up with her, hmm, “output”, shall we say!
Pleasant Aerie Gardens are open when the side door (on 62nd Place) is open; for your convenience, it is best to contact me ahead of time, thea@pleasantaerie.com, to make sure you won’t be disappointed. The front gardens are always available, although not as private.
See the Fall 2009 issue of Iowa Gardening Magazine for an article about my Gardens ("Beauty in Stillness").
I offer prayer, spiritual direction, guided meditations and a variety of classes. I am committed to weaving the creative, caring and contemplative threads of a God-filled, God-informed life through sharing the joys found in and through gardening. It is my belief that the lessons of the garden, be they lessons of change, renewal, restoration, or the sense of God’s abiding love for us, offer each of us a continuing and ever-extended hand of healing. May it be so for you any time you chose to visit Pleasant Aerie Quiet Gardens. Welcome! Shantih!
A COUPLE OF NOTES: Please do not bring animals or small children to the Gardens unless previous arrangements have been made. This is a SMOKE-FREE environment and unfortunately not handicapped accessible (steep curbs).
The gardens are free. Any donation towards the upkeep and further development of the gardens are gratefully received and returned to the Garden.
Everything
here
should
be
regarded
as
God’s
and
used
with
love
and
care.Swami Muktananada, Ashram Dharma