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By Sam Watson
Press Education Writer
swatson@johnsoncitypress.com
MILLIGAN COLLEGE — As test anxieties, project deadlines or college’s other tribulations come along, Milligan College students soon will have a place on campus to let the stress fade away.
Thanks to a Lilly Foundation Servant Leadership grant, students and staff members have been landscaping a “meditation garden” adjacent to the science building on the Christian college’s campus.
“I’d like to see days like today when you can look into the mountains and see the reddish tint they give off and be able to sit here and reflect and meditate,” said Christian Thompson, a Milligan sophomore helping with the project. “I really think that it will be a time when people can gather their thoughts and regroup and get rejuvenated.
“They can take time out of their daily lives and reflect on what’s really important, and hopefully, that keeps them going,” he said.
Clarinda Jeanes, wife of Milligan President Don Jeanes, submitted a proposal to use Lilly funds to develop the garden as a servant-leadership project for students, who would plan and landscape the garden in cooperation with the school’s grounds crews.
“I just asked for anybody who was interested in the meditation gardens,” Mrs. Jeanes said. “Whether you were a business student, a fine arts student or whatever, we could use you, because each one brings different expertise to the project.”
Mrs. Jeanes brought in Johnson City horticulturist Betty Freeman to work with the students to design and implement a plan and solicited volunteer help from local retirees for major excavation.
Working on a sloping site with a mountain view, the designers incorporated thousands of plants, massive stones, benches and walking paths around sugar maple and beech trees already on site.
“This garden already has character in that it was established so long ago,” Freeman said. “When we started looking and trying to design, we knew this was the perfect place to do what we had in mind.”
Freeman said the design called for plants that would have a calming effect on visitors, so nine different vendors supplied flowers, shrubs and other plants from as far away as the Netherlands.
“We tried to have winter interest, as well as spring, summer and fall, so there will be something going on here all year long,” Freeman said.
A distinctive feature in the plan was the placement of five boulders containing Bible verses and inspiration messages. Students selected the messages, and Greeneville-based Tusculum Monument Co. sandblasted the words into the stone using stencils earlier this week.
“We’re hoping to apply for a national award,” Mrs. Jeanes said. “We think this garden is going to be that spectacular.
“We think it’s a good project that we’re doing for the whole campus,” she said.
About 20 students have worked on the project, planning the site, digging holes, laying stone and placing flowers and plants.
“We’ve been working really hard and putting in the hours, and it’s coming along really well,” said Thompson, who has been working on the garden both as a work study student in landscaping and as a volunteer. “It means a lot when you see other people showing up and they’re really excited to dig in and help out.
“We’ve been discussing that when we come back one day and bring our kids here we can say we were able to help out with this and make it what it is,” he said.