Features Editor

Daylilies have the ability to quiet and sooth a soul.

Perhaps, that is the reason the Friends of the Labyrinth chose a daylily sale as a way to raise funds to support The Labyrinth at Troy State University.

On Saturday, the long awaited and highly anticipated TSU Labyrinth daylily sale will get under way at 9 a.m. at 417 Murphree Street.

The sale will end at noon so everyone is encouraged to come early to get the pick of the pairs.

There is no need to bring a shovel or garden gloves because David Dye, Robert Pullen and other "friends" will be there to do the dirty work.

"Just select the pairs that you want and we’ll prepare them for you right before your eyes," Pullen said. "At $5 a pair, that’s a very good deal."

Not only will daylily lovers go away with some of the most beautiful daylilies that can be found, they will also be supporting a very worthy cause – The Labyrinth which is located on the grounds of Sorrell Chapel at TSU.

"The earliest labyrinth has been dated to the fifth century B.C.E. on the isle of Crete," Pullen said. "It is being rediscovered today and used in churches, cathedrals, hospitals, schools and parks. The Labyrinth gives us a form of meditative walking.

Labyrinths have been called an archetype, a divine imprint, a metaphor for the way we walk through life and a metaphor for changing unwanted patterns in our life."

A labyrinth differs from a maze in that it has no dead ends. There is one path, leading to the center.

"Everyone experiences the labyrinth differently," Pullen said. "The labyrinth is a device to assist in prayer and meditation. It is a place to calm your mind and gain control over the rush of things, simplify life and talk to God and listen to Him. Walking a labyrinth can evoke many sensations as you allow yourself the freedom to experience them."

The Labyrinth project was started in the summer of 2000 and dedicated in September 2000.

The initial cost of The Labyrinth was about $3,500 Pullen said.

"The two most expensive items were the landscaping metal border to define the shape and the gravel for the paths," he said. "The stone in the center was also expensive."

The money from the daylily sale will be used to retire the debt, add benches and for maintenance.