Concord Hospital-Laconia staff cultivate healing and community in rooftop garden

LACONIA — What began as a simple idea to improve a shared outdoor space has blossomed into a labor of love for staff at Concord Hospital–Laconia, transforming the hospital’s rooftop garden into a welcoming retreat. 

For the second consecutive year, members of the Intensive Care Unit team have volunteered their personal time to beautify and expand the rooftop garden on the hospital’s third-floor patio. Led by ICU Licensed Nursing Assistant Joshua Brown, the project reflects a shared vision of creating a therapeutic environment where people can find a moment of peace away from the clinical setting.

“Our goal is to make this a space where patients, families, and staff can take a break, enjoy some fresh air, and focus on something positive,” Brown said. “Hospitals can be stressful places. We wanted to create a garden that offers comfort, relaxation, and a sense of connection.”

Over the past several months, Brown and fellow staff members have dedicated countless volunteer hours to restoring and enhancing the space. Together, they scrubbed the patio flooring and metal walls, removed accumulated moss, painted existing raised garden beds, added new flowerpots, and constructed an additional cedar raised garden bed.

The team also partnered with Osbornes Farm & Garden Center through Coast of Maine's Growing Good Program. In addition, a staff member's husband built custom trellises for climbing vegetables, helping bring the team's vision to life. 

Today, the garden includes four raised beds and multiple planters growing a variety of plants, including tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, carrots, butternut squash, pumpkins, and sunflowers. Staff plans to add colorful annual flowers to the patio planters in the coming weeks, and harvestable produce is available for anyone to pick.

While the garden is maintained entirely by staff volunteers during breaks and outside of work hours, patients are also encouraged to participate. Last year, one long-term patient became an enthusiastic partner in the project, helping water the plants throughout the growing season.

“That patient really took ownership of helping care for the garden,” Brown said. “She watered the plants regularly and took great pride in watching everything grow. We like to joke that she was responsible for our bumper crop of pumpkins. We're hoping we can create that same opportunity for patients again this year.”

The project recently received another boost when Concord Hospital’s Chief Advancement Officer, Veronica Rosa, worked with hospital leadership to secure funding for replacement patio umbrellas, helping make the space more comfortable and accessible during the warmer months.

“I’m incredibly proud of the initiative Joshua and his colleagues have shown,” Rosa said. “Their dedication demonstrates how much our staff cares about creating a healing environment, not just through clinical care, but through thoughtful touches that improve the experience for everyone who comes through our doors.”

Hospital leadership also praised the team's efforts and the project's broader impact.

 “We want to recognize the work staff have volunteered to do to make this space a refuge for all to enjoy,” Tim Paris, director of facility operations for Concord Hospital, said. “Their commitment has transformed the rooftop garden into something truly special, and we are happy to support a vision that benefits patients, families, and staff alike.”

For Brown and his fellow volunteers, the garden is about more than flowers and vegetables. It represents community, healing, and the power of small acts of kindness.

“Whether someone spends five minutes here or an hour, we hope the garden helps them feel better,” Brown said. “If it gives a patient, family member, or coworker a chance to step away from stress and enjoy a peaceful moment, then all the work is worth it.”

For more information, visit concordhospital.org.