God's Gardens by Claire

CHAMPLIN, Minn. -- In 2003, Claire Lichy was facing tremendous health problems after having abdominal surgery. She had excruciating pain through the right side of her back. During the surgery, several nerves leading to her back were nicked, and scar tissue from a previous operation was damaged.

Lichy found peace during her recovery time through flowers. Gardening always had been a passion of hers, and she transformed her backyard into an amazing garden when she fully recovered. At first, she called it "Claire's Gardens." Then God spoke to her, according to a Star Tribune article:

'I was out here one day and I felt God tugging at my arm,' she said. 'It just hit me: This isn't about me: it's about God. I feel so grateful that he has given me this talent to make things pretty.'

So, she changed the name to "God's Gardens by Claire." She opens up the gardens (by appointment only; call 763-427-2644) to everything from garden clubs to Bible study groups.