The people who made Maude's Garden a reality
Maude’s Garden at the Memory Hub has been awarded the 2025 Therapeutic Garden Design Award from the American Horticultural Therapy Association, a little over three years since opening. A project of the UW Memory and Brain Wellness Center, this welcoming green space promotes sensory exploration, social connection, and emotional well-being for people living with memory loss or dementia.
“We’re so proud of the growing recognition Maude’s Garden is receiving, as a vital resource for people with dementia and their caregivers here at the Memory Hub and the broader community,” says Marigrace Becker, director of the Memory Hub.
Enclosed by lush greenery, Maude’s Garden offers ADA-accessible paths, a raised garden bed, seating, and a sheltered gathering area. A distinctive stone hardscape supports seasonal plantings and artworks, as well as birdsong, herbal scents, and textures that encourage gentle sensory engagement and reminiscence. Therapeutic gardens become “memory gardens” when they offer programming for people living with dementia and their caregivers, often led by trained professionals known as horticultural therapists.
“Maude’s Garden is one among many gardens that demonstrate excellence in therapeutic design and programming,” says Laura Rumpf, a registered horticultural therapist who consults on the development, design, and use of Maude’s Garden. But what makes it stand out is its stunning model of collaboration in a small and challenging environment in the middle of a busy city. Maude’s Garden, intentionally designed for those with memory loss, welcomes partnerships to build a supportive community.”
Genevieve Wanucha, MBWC communications specialist, has served as the project lead for Maude’s Garden since she spearheaded the concept of a garden at the Memory Hub in 2019. “Originally, the garden was envisioned as a home for MBWC garden programs, and it became that and so much more. Maude’s Garden hosts therapeutic horticulture programs and garden care work parties. In a larger sense, it’s become a way to infuse nature into so much of what the Memory Hub offers, such as arts and music programs and events, held in collaboration with our community partners. It offers a safe and engaging outdoor space where visitors and program participants can spend time together.”
Maude’s Garden at the Memory Hub is made possible by our donors, the UW Medicine Advancement team supporting the Department of Neurology, and the Frye Art Museum. The garden is named after our late community advocate, Maude M. Ferry.
Maude’s Garden is open to the public Monday through Thursday during Memory Hub open hours: 9 am – 4 pm.
Read more about Maude’s Garden: thememoryhub.org/garden
Pictured (from left): Jake Harris (Stone Soup Gardens), Genevieve Wanucha (Maude's Garden Lead, Memory and Brain Wellness Center) Richard Ferry (Richard M. and Maude Ferry Charitable Foundation), Joyce Moty (Bradner Gardens), Margaret Peach Jack, HTR (Maude's Garden Landcape Designer), Debbie Wheeler (Maude's Garden programs volunteer), Marigrace Becker (Director of the Memory Hub), Laura Rumpf, HTR (Maude's Garden Healing Gardens Consultant), Tamara Keefe (Dementia-Friendly Recreation Specialist, Seattle Parks and Recreation), Thomas Grabowski, MD (Director of the Memory and Brain Wellness Center). Not pictured: Dawn Robinson, Horticultural Therapy Practitioner)