Cathy Ingham is a landscape architect, massage therapist, certified permaculture practitioner, entrepreneur, and a voice for the new earth. During her career as a landscape architect, she has worked on projects ranging from large planned development communities to tiny courtyard gardens, including working for 2 cities in the Dallas area. In 1995, having become ‘burned out’ with local politics and land development, she studied massage therapy and became a licensed practitioner. Upon moving to Houston , she practiced massage therapy in medical offices, health clubs, and day spas, while also working for a landscape company doing garden design for new homes.

In 1998, she made the decision to start her own business – now known as Garden Dreams. You can see many of her creations on the web site www.TexasGardenDreams.com While having the garden business required letting go of her massage therapy practice, Cathy always knew there would come a time when she could marry these two seemingly unrelated arts and create something wonderful. That creation is now in progress. It is called ‘The Earth Sanctuary’. A web site is being created and will be on line soon.

The Earth Sanctuary is a place of learning about and experiencing living in harmony with the natural world and with our human community. A learning center will offer space for workshops ranging from organic gardening and permaculture to yoga and meditation classes. Offices for independent massage practitioners and other related businesses will be available to rent. A library/ reading room houses books to read and a place to relax while waiting for classes to begin, or simply a place to visit. The library is currently being used as the class room, until the new building is ready (Summer 2010). A small café will offer fair trade coffee, tea, and tasty (many gluten-free) snacks. Future plans also include rental cottages for over-night guests and living quarters for the on-site manager, complete with a natural swimming pool – with water filtered by plants The buildings will all capture rain water to use in the landscape and will be built to LEED standards. All of this in Houston’s Energy Corridor in a beautiful garden setting with waterfalls, trees, birds, vegetable and herb gardens, a labyrinth, and more. Updates on the construction progress will be added to this page as things progress.