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

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.