For Las Vegas, With Love
LAS VEGAS – There’s a patch of green – and a very red heart – in the middle of this city, provided in response to tragedy.
Click rendering for galley
The Las Vegas Community Healing Garden, including some heartfelt hardscape, came together in less than a week as a gentle, caring gesture following the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival on Oct. 1.
Jay Pleggenkuhle, owner of Stonerose Landscapes in Henderson, Nev., came up with the idea of a healing garden, and contacted the city of Las Vegas. After getting a quarter-acre of land set roughly between the city’s downtown area and the Las Vegas Strip, Pleggenkuhle sketched out a layout on a napkin and went to work.
At least two area nurseries pitched in, donating trees and shrubs. Siegfried and Roy, the famed Las Vegas-based magicians, donated a large oak tree to be placed in the center of a concrete planter shaped like a heart.
By the time the garden officially opened on Oct. 6, more than 1,000 people had offered money, materials or their time and labor to construct the garden.
The heart-shaped planter didn’t stay in concrete gray for long, however. Attendees at the opening were invited to decorate small tiles; after firing the pieces, the tiles lined the outside of the planter.
Perfection Stone and Tile installed the tiles, using products donated by LATICRETE. Perfection also added a cover course of red tiles, donated by Daltile, to accentuate the heart shape.
Other hardscape/landscape companies contributing to the garden effort include Ewing Irrigation and Landscape, Pavestone, Capriati Construction and Sunworld Construction and Landscape.
The garden is located at 101 S. Casino Center Blvd. (36.159860N -115.150808W) in Las Vegas.
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