Hiram – There’s a new garden in Hiram, a quiet place for reflection tucked in behind the Hiram Christian Church. Previously, the spot was not much to look at — just a vacant house, looking lonely and dejected. But when Gail Horning Hazard saw the site, she saw what it could become — a fitting tribute. She had been looking for a way to memorialize her dad, Millard Horning, since his passing last November.
She wanted to do something that would characterize the things that made her dad so special – his giving back to the Hiram community that he loved so much, his acts of service in a variety of roles at the Hiram Christian Church, the unconditional love he shared with Gail and her sisters.
So she had the idea to create a living memorial to her dad — one that could be enjoyed year round not just by his church, where she is also a member, but by the community of Hiram. She envisions it as a place for quiet contemplation, among the century-old trees, or for family gatherings under the wooden pergola. Dedicated last Saturday, the garden incorporates a stone walkway, gravel pathways and reclaimed foundation stones from the home that formerly occupied the space. Plantings include pines, lilacs, crab apples, hydrangeas, roses, and coreopsis. The design by Matt Muldoon of Muldoon Landscaping fits seamlessly with the space, and is a fitting tribute to a father’s love that will love on.
