The Beloit Memorial Hospital received generous gifts from the Neese Family Foundation, ABC Supply, Inc. and two anonymous donors to construct this beautiful and inviting Neese Memorial Rooftop Garden. Located off the third floor of the hospital, outside the West Hart Caf?, the new environmentally friendly rooftop garden is named in memory of Ebbie and Peggy Neese, long-time supporters of the Beloit Community and the hospital. Completed in the summer of 2006, the rooftop garden is filled with beautiful perennials and shrubs.

The installation was made on an existing roof overlooked by patient rooms and the hospital?s cafeteria. The Rooftop Garden was designed by Angus-Young Associates of Janesville, Wisconsin using the 8-inch depth GreenGrid 2?x 4? modules, customized edge treatments, rubber pavers, a custom built pond and fountain feature, and outdoor furniture. The plants chosen for this project included Geranium sanguineum ?Max Frei,? Juniperus chinensis ?Sea Green,? Juniperus sabina ?Mini Arcadia,? Rosa rugosa ?Frau Dagmar Hastrup,? Hemerocallis ?Stella de Oro,? Phlox paniculata ?David,? Sedum spectabile ?Autumn Joy,? Sedum stonecrop ?Vera Jameson,? Berberis thunbergii ‘Royal Burgundy,’ Rhus aromatica ?Gro-Low,? Cerastium tomentosum ?Snow-in-Summer,? Nepeta racemosa ‘Blue Wonder,’ Aster novae-angliae ?Purple Dome,? Liatris spicata, Salvia nemorosa ?May Night,? Calamagrostis acutiflora ?Karl Forester,? Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ and Sporobolus heterolepis ?Prairie Dropseed.?The rooftop garden is open to the public and has been thoroughly enjoyed by patients, families and hospital employees. It has provided a soothing vista for patients to view from their rooms. Hospital administrators feel that the new space will help speed the recovery process for their patients through sensory stimulation.