A Postcard from

Harmony Gardens

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A vision I’m growing with my family — Daniel.

A Modern Christian Monastic Farm Stay — In Development

Concept art: an imagined future.

FAITH · FAMILY · CREATION

A note from Daniel

My name is Daniel, and I have been helping my family imagine what Harmony Gardens could become.

I picture a place where you could go outside and see things growing. You could help in a garden, spend time with your family, share a meal, and have time to pray. I would like people to have room to learn about Jesus and enjoy what God has made.

We call the idea a modern Christian monastic farm stay. That is a long way of saying a place for a simpler rhythm: prayer, useful work, rest, and time together. Visitors would not be joining a monastery.

We want to begin with something manageable, rather than build the whole picture at once. Our first overnight phase would be no more than five cabins, and might be smaller. We are still working out the right location, permissions, costs, and how to keep it going.

My family helps with the planning and the responsibilities that need adults. I want to keep contributing ideas and sharing what we learn. The photos of our earlier gardens show some of the inspiration.

For now, you can explore the vision and follow our progress. People who are interested in helping can also ask to see the more detailed plans. Advice, practical skills, introductions, prayer, and financial support when a properly prepared campaign is ready are different ways someone might help.

I hope Harmony Gardens can grow into a place where faith is part of how we welcome people and care for what we have been given. As we have learned about Margee Iddings’ work, our family has been thinking more about how that welcome could help people find a fresh beginning.

Daniel

Grow and learn

We hope for gardens where families can learn together, care for growing things, and discover the patience of useful work.

Make room for faith

Time for Scripture, prayer, rest, and enjoying God’s creation. A simpler rhythm, with participation always invitational.

Share the table

Meals, conversation, and a warm welcome across Christian traditions. A place to listen and spend time together.

FAITH EXPRESSED THROUGH CARE

A place to grow, and begin again.

Harmony Gardens is growing from a family farm-stay vision into a hope for a place of Christian hospitality, useful work, and renewed beginnings. Margee Iddings’ example has helped deepen that purpose. We hope to carry the spirit of her mission forward through shared meals, prayer, growing food, and welcoming people with dignity.

Part of that hope is to create opportunities for women rebuilding their lives after incarceration, through meaningful work, learning, and a supportive community. We are exploring how to do this responsibly with experienced partners. This is a direction we are developing, with programs and partnerships still to be shaped.

Our property search now focuses on underserved communities, with room for orchards, growing fields, barns, and a small number of cabins, alongside a river or a stream-fed pond. We want the land to support both a peaceful retreat and practical service to others.

A RELATED, SEPARATE EFFORT

Preserving Rising Phoenix

Rising Phoenix Legacy is our separate effort to help preserve Margee Iddings’ original retreat and its mission. Harmony Gardens is a new farm-stay and service vision for a different location; its property search continues.

How the two efforts connect

A shared inspiration. Both efforts grow from faith, hospitality, and a desire to help people find renewal. Harmony Gardens hopes to carry that spirit into a new setting.

Two distinct projects. Rising Phoenix Legacy focuses on preserving Margee’s existing retreat, mission and legacy. Harmony Gardens is being planned elsewhere. The Rising Phoenix property is not a confirmed or proposed home for Harmony Gardens, and this link does not represent an ownership or purchase agreement.

Visit the separate Rising Phoenix Legacy website

EARLIER FAMILY WORK

The gardens that helped us imagine.

Our family’s earlier gardens, greenhouses, and places for prayer and play: the projects that helped us imagine what could come next.

These are our family’s earlier projects. Daniel’s own garden is among them.

A shaded pond surrounded by mature trees from our family’s earlier garden work — Earlier family work: pond and wooded setting.

Young fruit trees growing from our family’s earlier garden work — Earlier family work: young fruit trees.

Grapevines growing on trellises from our family’s earlier garden work — Earlier family work: grapevines on hand-built trellises.

A small wooden greenhouse from our family’s earlier garden work — Earlier family work: one of two greenhouses.

A large greenhouse from our family’s earlier garden work — Earlier family work: the larger greenhouse.

Raised garden beds in Daniel’s garden from our family’s earlier garden work — Daniel’s garden: raised beds and hands-on stewardship.

Daniel tending plants in a sunlit garden from our family’s earlier garden work — Daniel tending the garden: patient, hands-on care for what is growing.

A trail-ride trailer used for rides around the property and in the mountains — Earlier family work: trailer for property and mountain rides.

A fenced chicken barn and outdoor run from our family’s earlier garden work — Earlier family work: chicken barn and outdoor run.

A children’s clubhouse among the trees from our family’s earlier garden work — Earlier family work: children’s clubhouse and play space.

A wood-built prayer and bath area with a cross and a prayerful setting — Earlier family work: prayer and bath area.

The exterior of a hand-built prayer and bath area — Earlier family work: hand-built prayer and bath space.

The Jesus Rocket, a hand-built faith-centered garden feature — Earlier family work: the Jesus Rocket.

A children’s outdoor play area with a ship-themed play structure — Earlier family work: children’s outdoor play area.

A Harmony Gardens welcome sign with a faith-centered message — Earlier family work: a welcome sign rooted in faith and hospitality.

The Harmony Gardens produce stand — Earlier family work: the Harmony Gardens produce stand.

The Harmony Gardens road sign among mature trees — Earlier family work: the Harmony Gardens road sign.

A Scripture sign encouraging people to open the Bible and pray — Earlier family work: a Scripture sign inviting people to open the Bible.

A young gardener watering a plant from our family’s earlier garden work — Earlier family work: a young gardener caring for a plant.

The Harmony Gardens meditation trail leading to a unity mural — Earlier family work: a meditation trail for prayerful reflection.

A unity mural showing Jesus seated with elephants and donkeys — Earlier family work: a call to unity across political differences.

FAMILY EXPERIENCE

Sandra’s Dog Haven

Sandra’s Dog Haven reflects our family’s hands-on experience caring for animals.

A fenced play yard with a dog and elevated play structure at Sandra’s Dog Haven — Fenced play yard and activity space.

A shaded outdoor dog activity yard at Sandra’s Dog Haven — Shaded outdoor activity and rest area.

The Dog Haven building beside its fenced outdoor space — The Dog Haven building beside the outdoor yard.

Outdoor play structures and the Dog Haven building — Outdoor play structures and open activity space.

A second Dog Haven building with a fenced grass yard — A second Dog Haven building and fenced grass yard.

ONE STEP AT A TIME

Starting small. Learning as we go.

Our current hands-on focus is greenhouse work and learning to grow well. It gives the family practical experience while the wider retreat remains in development.

We’re exploring a first phase of no more than five cabins. We haven’t chosen a property or an opening date, and we aren’t taking bookings yet. We’ll share news when there’s real progress.

The larger concept artwork illustrates hopes, not a commitment to build everything shown. We will share progress as there is real progress to report.

INTERESTED IN HELPING?

There is more than one way to help.

Prayer, practical advice, skills, and introductions can all help us learn. Detailed business, financial, and grant materials are currently withheld while a separate supporter access area is prepared.

We are not taking bookings or collecting donations here. Any future financial arrangements will be handled by responsible adults after the necessary preparations.

Contact the project team · ← Return to About

Daniel shares this vision with support from his family. Project inquiries and financial arrangements are handled by responsible adults.