Quilt Gardens, Quilt Murals back in season

CLAYTON SIDENBENDER, The Elkhart Truth, Ind.
·2 min read

ELKHART — Participants began rolling up their sleeves Thursday in anticipation of planting 13 colorful Amish-quilt themed gardens across the county.

This is the 17th year for the gardens, a project of the Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau (ECCVB).

The plants were delivered at the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds just before 10 a.m. Thursday and collected by volunteers and organizations responsible for planting and maintaining them.

There are 13 Quilt Gardens in addition to 12 Quilt Murals, which are Amish-quilt themed paintings, at locations throughout Elkhart County. All locations are free to visitors, seven days a week, in Elkhart, Goshen, Nappanee, Middlebury, Wakarusa and Bristol.

“They’re all planted by May 31,” said Karin Frey, ECCVB review committee chair. “The season is from May until October.”

Corstange Greenhouse in Portage, Michigan, is the grower and supplier of most the flowers. There are other small growers who supply the remaining number of flowers.

The flower designs for the gardens are chosen by the committees expressing interest in having a garden. Frey and the review committee oversee the process.

“We check just about every week or every other week,” Frey said. “The people who have the quilt gardens are responsible for weeding, for watering and for fertilizing.”

Each garden has a site manager, who is responsible for pulling together a group of volunteers and maintaining the gardens. For example, the City of Elkhart has two quilt gardens, and one quilt garden in downtown Elkhart is managed by the city’s Building and Grounds Department.

“Some garden sites will get started straight away after they receive their flowers,” said Terry Mark, director of communications and public relations for the ECCVB. “For others it really depends on the schedules of the people involved.”

The Quilt Gardens and Quilt Murals are an award-winning attraction that attracts visitors from around the country.

“It is a large draw for visitors to come to Elkhart County because we’re the only ones in the United States that have a quilt garden tour,” Frey said. “We can get them from, not just this surrounding area, but we even get visitors from overseas.”

Frey said the visitors who come to see the gardens and murals will not only be attracted to the beauty, but also be educationally informed.

The Quilt Gardens will be open to the public from May 30 to Sept. 15. People interested in getting a map of the quilt gardens and quilt mural locations can visit QuiltGardens.com.

“Elkhart County residents are creative and appreciate natural beauty,” said Jon Hunsberger, executive director of the ECCVB. “We are connected by a passion for craftsmanship and quality of life. The Quilt Gardens and Quilt Murals are a celebration of what makes us Well Crafted in Elkhart County.

“Each year, we are excited to welcome thousands of visitors from around the Midwest and the U.S., all seeking that unique blend of energy and serenity that we have here.”