Dole VA Memorial Peace Garden
The Dole VA Memorial Peace Garden provides therapeutic gardening opportunities for Veterans, their families, and Dole VA employees.
This tranquil spot on the north side of Building 5A provides a restorative environment for quiet reflection, mindfulness exercises, and lunch breaks in the fresh air. In addition, the interactive raised garden beds are a demonstration of and educate visitors about the economical, nutritional, and psychological benefits of food gardens.
Planting of the Dole VA Memorial Peace Garden began in spring 2013, with hundreds of plants and trees donated by local nurseries and the Wichita Herb Society at Botanica. The formal dedication took place on Veterans Day 2013.
A 2024 project replaced the raised garden beds that were more than a decade old, and a 2026 project has made the entire garden accessible for those with mobility challenges.
Peer support specialists and behavioral health providers have encouraged patients to come out to the Garden Group, which meets Friday mornings from March through Thanksgiving. Garden Group is open to all comers. Veterans, VA employees, and community members are welcome.
Master Gardeners come nearly every week to oversee, educate, and identify problems in the garden. Garden tasks are matched to abilities, background in gardening, and personal preferences for jobs such as grinding eggshells, sweeping walkways, filling bird feeders, watering, trimming, and planting. There is also the joy of sharing knowledge and life experiences, complaining, joking, and cheering up each other.
To volunteer in the Dole VA Memorial Peace Garden, please contact coordinator Laura Nutter.
To make a donation for the upkeep of the Peace Garden, please submit a VA Heartland Network: VISN 15 Donation Form at https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/50728406.
