Sara Tekula and Joe Imhoff, residents of Hawaii, started Plant a Wish with the planting of a native species of tree at their wedding, imbued with their guests well-wishes. Over time, they realized that this ‘Wish Tree’ continued to hold special meaning for them. They decided to embark on a journey to plant a native Wish Tree in the remaining 49 states with this wish:

The overall wish of the Plant A Wish project is for future generations to enjoy an abundance of biodiversity, native plants and trees, fresh air, and clean water.

They are also filming their journey, to be made into what I’m sure will be a moving documentary. I can’t wait to see how it comes out and what kinds of adventures they get themselves in to! They said every planting has had a different flavor, from small, single family plantings to huge affairs involving whole towns.

They selected the IMA, and 100 Acres in particular, because of the work that is being done in the Park already to fight invasive non-native plant species while planting local varieties, installing works of art, and educating our local communities. Our Horticulture Manager Chad Franer selected the appropriate native tree (an American Beech) and planting location (with enough distance from the beavers!)

We had a small ceremony for the planting, and the MAP Kids and some education staff joined us and contributed their wishes: some sentimental, some funny, some deeply moving. I also collected wishes from some of our fans on FaceBook and Twitter. They are all nourishing the roots of our American Beech as I type.

I thought for a while what I wanted to wish for…. what did I want to think of when I walked by this tree? The more I thought about it, I knew I could never untangle my memories of the thrill of my involvement in the opening the Park with the Wish Tree. So, my wish was simple: for Indianapolis to love 100 Acres as much as I have come to. Less than a month later and after a wildly successful opening, I would feel comfortable saying this has already come true.

Next, we placed our wishes under the tree, and rolled it in to place. We each helped to cover the root ball with some dirt. With Joe’s instruction, we also had to help ‘wake up’ the tree. Each of us took hold of the tree and we yelled together on the count of 3. Surprisingly, no one came running. This must be a horticulture secret and probably why I’ve killed all the plants I have ever interred. I’ll try it at home soon- I’m sure my neighbors will love it!

The Indiana Wish Tree is located here, along the path to Kendall Buster’s Stratum Pier, ready for your wishes as well. I hope that it will be big enough in a few years for having a picnic under. I want to thank Sara and Joe for their dedication to a thoughtful and important cause, and for selecting the IMA to be a part of it. If you would like to help them reach their goal of all 50 states, you can donate to their project or suggest a planting site.

Images courtesy of Sara Tekula. See more here.

Ed first witnessed the site decades ago while on a work assignment in Columbus.  He was then only able to peek through the already tall arborvitae hedges guarding the property’s east side, but knew the place was indeed very special.  After all, one of the 20th century’s masters of landscape design, Dan Kiley, had worked his magic here.  For all of us in the field, this is a place for reverence.

Miller House, summer 2009 (Ed Blake and Bradley Brooks on far right)

My own first encounter with Miller House and Garden was very similar, taking place on May 1st of 2007 as part of a charrette involving Miller family members and architects, landscape architects, and preservationists from around the country.  We all assembled to discuss the many attributes of the property and who might be the best stewards of the site in the future.  Part of the weekend’s program was a visit to Miller House with an insider’s tour of both home and landscape with the Miller children.

The weather on that mid-spring day couldn’t have been nicer.  A clear blue sky was the perfect complement to the lush pink blooms of the large saucer magnolias framing each side of the house.  Though some in the group had visited before, many of us knew the site only from photographs, articles, and monographs on the designers involved.  This truly was a special treat – to witness this mid-century marvel and examine it in such detail, with members of the Miller family sharing their own experiences of growing up here.  Quite a privilege, I think, for them to call this home, and for us as well to hear about that experience directly.

Magnolias at Miller House

Over the ensuing months, the IMA continued to conduct further research on the property and its three principal designers – Eero Saarinen, Alexander Girard, and Dan Kiley – to help us better understand how this place came to be and how much influence Mr. & Mrs. Miller had on its outcome.  We were, of course, elated to be the recipient of the Miller family’s generous bequest of the property and funds for an endowment.  And by pure coincidence, the transfer of the property came on May 1st of 2009, exactly two years to the day since we first laid eyes upon it.  Those same magnolias were blooming brightly once again in honor of the event.

But this just begins our serious work on the property, bringing the home, its interiors and furnishings, and its landscape into a form approximating their earlier condition.  We have a goal of opening the estate to the public two years from now.  Research in Columbus and at repositories of archived material at sites around the country will occupy the time of Bradley, Craig Miller, and me, as well as many others as we further the process of understanding this important treasure.  We’re so grateful to be able to add Miller House and Garden as another National Historic Landmark (Oldfields being the other) to the IMA’s array of historic offerings.  I invite you to stay tuned for more details on our progress.