My goal was to create something with significant reach and lasting impact—something that inspires, nourishes, but also brings beauty to our campus.

The idea grew from the beautiful pastoral views I enjoy from my chair in the Art House during my time as an Artist in Residence. While cleaning up between art sessions, I noticed teens with their therapists lingering at our small starter garden by the back steps—just painted pots and a simple kitchen veggie plot in grow bags.That moment sparked a question: What if we could expand these therapy walks across our campus and turn them into richer, more meaningful experiences?

We envisioned a true destination point—spaces for rest, reflection, and connection—offering aesthetics, activities, and nutrition for body and soul. The kids were doing loops with nowhere to pause, so we set out to change that.

Creative materials at work! Kids painted lined grow bags using rinsed paint bottles, and we repurposed metal horse troughs—filled partly with limbs, shredded paper, and grass clippings—to offset soil costs.

Building for the Future

This is a “building year,” and I designed the garden to be sustainable for many seasons ahead. The infrastructure and systems are intentionally turn-key to accommodate short attention spans and busy schedules:

• Smart Mulching: Throwing down paper and mulching is far easier and more attractive than constant weeding.
• Easy Irrigation: Drip irrigation (currently in progress) reduces hose-dragging across the grounds.
• Eco-Friendly Prep: By sheet mulching and relocating the garden closer to water, we eliminated the need for mowing and weed-eating while preserving soil health and earthworms.

The Fruits of Our Labor (and What’s Next)

This project is already enhancing therapy walks and creating hands-on opportunities for learning, creativity, and growth. Today, over 65 tomato plants are thriving in the garden, along with a pumpkin patch the kids will get to paint this October!

We can already imagine harvest time: making fresh tomato sandwiches, pickling cucumbers, and sharing fresh vegetables with our incredible staff.

A path to healing. The pathway features beautiful pavers previously painted by our youth and volunteers.

I have so many more ideas to build on this foundation, and I’m excited to continue sharing this story with you all through photos and videos. Finally, a special thank you to Scott Merritt, President & CEO of Murphy-Harpst, for his unwavering faith in me. It is a blessing.

Warmly,

Christi Conner Tate