Quilt Gardens Tour

Each quilt garden site has it’s own very special challenges.  Many of the gardens have been elevated for optimum viewing which brings the challenge of effective watering practices.  The plants at the top may dry out more quickly due to the enhanced run off created by steep slopes.  Other sites seem to have poor topsoil due to the lack organic humus or compost.  Northern Indiana tends to have a fair amount of sandy loam.  This is great for drainage but not so for moisture retention and nutrition of ornamentals.  Even with the best fertilization schedule plants may fail to thrive if the soil is deficient.

August promises dog days of intense heat and pop up thunderstorms. Each garden will have to endure blazing sun, the ravages of hard rains and possible high winds.  In addition to these challenges (as if that were not enough) fungal diseases, insects and animals all have the potential to frustrate even the seasoned gardener.

A case in point is the quilt garden at the Elkhart County Fair Grounds.  The sumptuous red heart at the top of the garden was severely damaged in a night raid by raccoons.   The next morning the heart was no more than a few remaining begonias at the fringes of the pattern.  This garden is tended by the Michiana Master Gardeners who quickly set traps to catch the ring-tailed menace.  Alas only one of the fairground barn cats ventured into the trap.  There was no sign of injury to the kitty, which was of course quickly repatriated to the fair grounds to hunt for mice another day.  The flowers have been replaced and the heart is once again looking healthy and lush.

If your garden gives you reason for concern and you just can’t figure it out remember that the Michiana Master Gardeners Association hosts a hot line in the Elkhart County Extension Office to help you with just such challenges.  Our Master Gardener motto is “Helping Others Grow” and we invite you to put our words to the test!

-Vickie Estep, Master Gardener

I had the opportunity to view most of the quilt gardens again last week and I’m hard pressed to choose a favorite. There are of course several that stand out in my mind. I love the garden at the Das Essenhaus. The “Center Diamond” pattern has proven to be a spectacular choice. Their choice of plant material is stunning.

I’m also partial to the “Flower Basket” at Ruthmere Mansion. They chose to include Telstar Dianthus, which is performing beautifully. This garden is patterned after a quilt in their private collection, which adds to the historic relevance of the garden. I only wish they would have elevated it for better viewing.

Another favorite is the one at the Old Bag Factory named “A Birds Eye View”. Designer Shirley Shenk out did herself with this pattern. I am anxiously awaiting the periscope installation that will give us the superior view promised in the pattern name.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention “Recovery” at the McCormick Golf Course in Nappanee. This community endured almost total destruction last year during the tornado season and now this garden reminds us that where disaster strikes beauty will return to erase the ill-fated memories best left behind. This is the only garden using Coleus and it appears to be a stunner! It really adds contrast and interest to the saw tooth border that surrounds the design.

We’ll see how the season plays out but if the early views of the quilt gardens are any indication it will be hard to choose a favorite. I‘d like to see the addition of a viewer’s choice award so that the public could vote on their favorite gardens. Perhaps someone at the ECCVB might be able to add it to their website. Now wouldn’t that be fun?

- Vickie Estep, Master Gardener

My friend John who also happened to graduate from the same Master Gardener training class I did once said I had a sickness.  A gardening sickness that is.  I think my husband agrees but he loves me anyway.  God bless the spouse of a gardener because they quickly learn that rain or shine they know where to find us.  I love being outdoors.  That’s one of the many things I really appreciate about the Quilt Garden Tour.  I can enjoy the outdoors, many beautiful gardens, chat with my friends and shop in places I don’t usually visit.  It’s a win win for me!

I have been to most of the gardens three times now since they’ve been planted.  I take pictures each time I visit so I can see the growth comparison at the end of each trip.  It is amazing how quickly most of the gardens have flourished to fill in the empty space so visible the first two visits.  Now the patterns can be clearly recognized as quilt blocks. After speaking with a few of the business owners it is clear that theirs is a labor of love and dedication not just to the business they hope to bring in but to the art of the gardens.

I must also confess that the Agri-garden at Meadow Brook Farm that I had so much doubt about is really quite impressive.  Yes, the soybeans are not cooperating due to the cool wet spring however the other crops are up and great fun.  While I was there yesterday a new miniature donkey colt named Gus was in the pasture (with mom in tow) next to the garden.  It was his first day out of the barn since he was born two weeks ago.  It was cool and windy that day but Gus didn’t care.  He had found his legs and kicked up his heels to celebrate.  This farm is truly unique and a gem in Elkhart County’s crown.  While you are there consider taking the tour of the farm house which is soon to be featured in Midwest Living magazine.  The farm has a grand history and a story to match.

Vickie Estep, Master Gardener

Help us spread the word about the 2009 Quilt Gardens Tour. Each month we’re giving away a special prize to one of the posters on this blog.

This month’s prize is a cute embroidered off-white canvas official Quilt Gardens Tour tote bag that measures 17 X 11.

To win this month’s prize, just post a comment on this post (below) before midnight May 31, 2009.

Each month one lucky winner will be notified by email and their name will be posted here on the Quilt Gardens Tour blog. Post your comment today!
Read the full rules here.

The colorful ceramic crazy quilt, “Mystical Window”, created by Nappanee’s Northwood High School art class is now complete and ready to move to a new home.  Students will dedicate their beautiful and touchable artwork to the Nappanee Public Library on April 30 during homeroom.  Art teacher, Melinda Sharp, is proud of her students’ willingness to share their “labor of love” with the community.  Although her classroom may seem a little colorless when the ceramic quilt is gone, it won’t be drab for long; she’s already brainstorming with students about next year’s project.

Help us spread the word about the 2009 Quilt Gardens Tour. Each month we’re giving away a special prize to one of the posters on this blog.

This month’s prize is a set of six, 5X7  Official Quilt Gardens Tour note cards with six linen envelopes using the original artwork of Deborah Stipanovich.

To win this month’s prize, just post a comment on this post (below) and include your email before midnight May 10, 2009.

Each month one lucky winner will be notified by email and their name will be posted here on the Quilt Gardens Tour blog. Post your comment today!
Read the full rules here.

Sonya Miller, official grower/2009 QGT annuals is sipping cinnamon tea & sorting the 80,000 seeds to be planted this year! We’re gearing up for this year’s Quilt Garden Tour! There are tons of fun events and activities planned.

You won’t want to miss the Plein-Air Paint Out, August 8 – 9. At this event artists from all over Indiana and surrounding states will set up their easels and capture the beauty of Amish Country’s Quilt Gardens on canvas and paper at this first-ever outdoor event. Completed works in oil, pastels and watercolor will be on display and available for purchase at Goshen’s Old Bag Factory after the event!

Sonya Miller of Country Comfort Greenhouse, official grower of the 2009 QGT annuals, says almost 80,000 (wow!) seeds have been ordered and some have
already come in! She’s waiting for weather to break, then planting will begin!!
Think warm thoughts! The 2009 QGT is just around the corner! See all the new patterns for this year’s tour here

I’m not a big fan of putting myself out there in the web world, but Facebook has changed that a little bit for me. So many of my friends were on there, that I couldn’t help but try. I thought I’d do a trial run, just a couple days, and then delete myself. However, I’ve found a lot more useful than I thought.

I have family members that live all on both coast, and in Europe, and Facebook helps me stay in contact with them. It also lets me know what is going on with their lives that I wouldn’t normally know.

The other great thing on Facebook is that there are all kinds of groups that you can become part of, groups that follow what you find interesting. I was amazed at the number of people who are intersted in quilts and quilting, and gardens and flowers. I can connect with any of these groups and follow what they do.

Of course, if you’re reading my blog, maybe you’d like to become a follower of the Quilt Gardens Tour. You can get there by going to Facebook and creating an account, and then search for Quilt Gardens Tour. There are pictures of the Quilt Gardens, and there is information about the designs, and tour. If you don’t know what our Quilt Gardens Tour is, you can read about it on our website. But for something different, try finding us on Facebook, and add us to your groups. It’s a great resource to find out more about Amish Country of Northern Indiana.

-Mindy, Amish Country Northern Indiana Contributor