In the forest leaves fall and decay over the winter months providing a rich layer of humus packed with essential nutrients, micro-organisms and organic material.  This brings me to the first “R” in the title, Rejuvenation.  Mother Nature has set a well developed plan for successful gardening in this example. Fall is the best time to add soil amendments to the garden. Especially when adding organic materials such as compost or well rotted manure which mellows over winter “Rejuvenating” the garden which may have been depleted of minerals over the long growing season. Without this critical step many sites would look like a dust bowl of days gone by being unable to sustain new growth.

The second “R” represents “Re-evaluation”. Each Quilt Garden will re-evaluate their sites based on how each plant preformed in a given location.  The savvy gardener will carefully note the success or failure of each cultivar for future consideration in their garden. In the forest this process of re-evaluation is carried out through natural selection. The plants and trees that best compete for sun and moisture will gain the privilege of inclusion in nature’s garden thus ensuring its survival as a species.

With so many choices to make about rejuvenation and re-evaluation of each Quilt Garden you can be assured there will be no rest or relaxation for the decision makers of the Quilt Garden Tour.

As I toured the gardens on the northeast side of the county this weekend I saw many examples of this principal being played out.  Several gardens were showing signs of the heat stress our hot August days dole out in generous portions.  And I heard that a summer hailstorm took its toll in Wakarusa.  I noticed that the heat dealt a death knoll to the Lobelia at the Essenhaus Garden.

All gardening is an experiment due to the fluctuations in seasonal weather patterns.  However the wildcard is always the bravado of the grower.  Should you press the limits of the plant and hope the conditions will favor your endeavor?  Or will you be challenged, as so many gamblers are to stand by and learn the lessons of chance and compromise?  Maybe the plant will flourish in your microclimate and your efforts will be rewarded.  Perhaps you will learn the lessons of a resilient gardener.

Each year brings a renewed opportunity to try something different.  The treasure of a new gardening adventure each season is the prize we all work for.  Now is the time for us to take an inventory of what worked and what didn’t in our gardens.  Now is the time we gardeners dream of the spring to come.   I wonder what the Quilt Garden Tour will be like next year?

-Vickie Estep, Master Gardener

Last week was considered to be a peak viewing time for the Quilt Garden Tour.  Many of the annuals that were planted so many months ago have now reached their optimum growth and are showing off their Sunday best blooms.  Many regional artists came to town last weekend putting brush to canvas to capture the beauty that is unique to The Quilt Garden Tour.  Dubbed the Plein-Air Paint Out this first ever outdoors art event is yet another example of the unique opportunities Elkhart County Amish Country promises to visitors.

It is amazing to me to see how many visitors have been drawn to our area by this unique garden display.  Bus tours have poured into the county in droves bringing with them much needed revenue for local shop owners.  We have seen visitors from all across the United States and even many foreign countries.  With so many new impressions to be made each day it is lucky for us that Elkhart County residents display Hoosier Hospitality in abundance.

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!

You can visit anyone of the Elkhart County locations to enter a raffle win the quilt.  Raffle tickets are $2 each, and you can enter as many times as you wish.So visit the Hope Garden Quilt at its touring locations, and enter to win the raffle. It’s a gorgeous quilt, and will help a great cause.

July 9 – 22
The Cinnamon Stick
102 S. Main St.
Middlebury, IN 46540

July 22 – August 5
Linton’s Enchanted Gardens
315 County Road 17
Elkhart, IN 46516

August 6 – 8
Das Dutchman Essenhaus
Essenhaus Quilt Show
240 US 20
Middlebury, IN 46540

August 11 – 25
Woldruff’s Footwear
129 S. Main
Goshen, IN 46526

August 26 – September 8
West View Florist
1717 Cassopolis St.
Elkhart, IN 46514

September 9 – 16
Linton’s Enchanted Gardens
315 County Road 17
Elkhart, IN 46516

The drawing will be held on Friday, September 18 at the Davis Mercantile Theatre in Shipshewana, IN.  If you collect Vera Bradley, this would be a beautiful addition to your collection.  Let me know if you’ve seen the Hope Garden Quilt and tell me what you thought of it.

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?

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]]> http://www.amishcountry.org/quiltblog/2009/07/06/a-hard-choice/feed/ 0 http://www.amishcountry.org/quiltblog/2009/06/19/quilt-gardens-tour-worth-the-trip/ http://www.amishcountry.org/quiltblog/2009/06/19/quilt-gardens-tour-worth-the-trip/#comments Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:18:08 +0000 vickie http://www.amishcountry.org/quiltblog/?p=192

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.