2009 Quilt Gardens Tour Introduces “Pilot Agri-Quilt” Garden
This year the Quilt Gardens Tour℠ introduces its first official “agri-quilt” garden. The site of this pilot garden, Meadow Brook Farm, is a Civil War era farmstead located just outside the city limits of Goshen. Owner Kori Cripe recently opened her home and farm for public tours.
Planted in a “Grandmother’s Fan” pattern with soybeans, sunflowers, alfalfa, buckwheat, corn and red geraniums, this quilt garden introduces an exciting new element to this year’s tour that perfectly complements the rural heritage of Amish Country. It also marries well with its location, since the farmstead was once the site of Farm Betterment Club Fairs, huge community-wide celebrations that drew the Indiana governor, congressmen and judges to speak at the event.
It seems only natural to feature an “agri-quilt” garden on the tour: it also presents certain challenges that are not experienced in quilt gardens that use ornamental annuals and flowers. This mixed crop quilt garden contains plants that will grow in varying heights. There may be an issue with pattern consistency and view ability, and with shade created by the larger crops such as corn next to smaller plants in the garden. Crops also attract different insects than annuals and must be guarded against worms, grubs and bores. So do you use pesticide? If so what kind? And it must be factored in that crops’ needs are different than those of annuals– watering, feeding – especially during growing season.
Each of the plants in the “agri-quilt” garden will be in different stages of development during the Quilt Gardens Tour℠ viewing season. Even though the garden relies heavily on texture to convey the pattern, color plays a big role. As crops mature their color can change dramatically. So it will be interesting to observe the “look” of the garden throughout the season.
All the Quilt Gardens Tour℠ partners are eagerly looking forward to the introduction of an agricultural quilt garden to the mix, most of all Kori. She wants the garden to be a “home-grown” experience that’s fun and educational. And it will be an education – for all of us involved. We’re all up for the fun and challenges, and we’re just waiting to see “what crops up”!
We’d welcome your comments and suggestions for this “pilot agri-quilt” garden. Leave your comment below.
- Sonya Nash, Class of ’08 and Quilt Gardens Tour℠ Project Manager
Tags: Amish, Amish Indiana, Gardening, gardens, Goshen, Meadow Brook Farm, quilt, quilt gardens tour, quilters, Quilting
