
Chris and Tom Cully
Chris Cully (you may also know her as Christine French Clark), Editor-in-Chief of Highlights for Children, had the idea for a Word Garden when the Barn was under construction. She built on her great idea by providing financial support to make the Word Garden a reality. Physical support, too: Chris and her husband Tom spent a few days digging in the Calkins Creek just below the old farmhouse to find the perfect rocks for word engraving.
Last Sunday we held a dedication ceremony for the Word Garden. Chris and Tom were on hand to do some ribbon cutting and Kent Brown said a few words while some of our visiting writers and illustrators looked on.

Tom Cully, Chris Cully, George Brown, Kent Brown.
The Word Garden is a perfect addition to our inspiring setting, because our heads are full of wonderful words. Words that pack a wallop. Words that wallow. Words that whisper or wamble or waltz or warble. Soothing words. Frightening words. Quirky words. Somber words. And we all have a favorite, or two or three.
Now there’s a way to share your favorite word with others: have your word inscribed on a stone and added to the collection in the Word Garden. For a $75 contribution to the nonprofit Highlights Foundation, we will engrave your special word on a rock for all posterity. We’ll find a rock for you on the Boyds Mills property, or you can send us a special rock from your hometown. Proceeds from the Word Garden go toward supporting the Highlights Foundation Scholarship Fund. With your support, the Word Garden speaks volumes.