Philip and Mary Hart Wilheit have donated $700,000 to the Medical Center Foundation for an entrance garden at Northeast Georgia Medical Center, according to a news release from the hospital.

The gift is in honor of the couple’s parents, Tom and Jane Eve Wilheit and Jack and Mildred Keys.

“Both of our parents loved beautiful yards and landscapes so the North Patient Tower Entrance Garden was the perfect setting for our gift,” Mary Hart Wilheit said.

The garden is the largest of five donor gardens at the hospital, spanning 20,000 square feet across the tower’s main concourse.

The garden will include a water feature, seating, lighting and a rainwater collection system. The donation also includes a maintenance endowment for the garden, and Mary Hart Wilheit plans to design one or more sculptures for the garden, according to the release.

Philip Wilheit served on the Northeast Georgia Health System board from 1986 to 2007, serving as its chairman beginning in 1993. He continues to serve on the board as chairman emeritus. Mary Hart Wilheit is a life member of the Medical Center Auxiliary and past chairwoman of the auxiliary’s annual fundraiser, Marketplace.  

Medical center officials plan to break ground on the garden later this year.