Municipal and rural landscapes around Elkhart County will become more attractive in 2008, as 12 additional quilt garden sites will be featured in an annual Quilt Garden Tour, developed by the Elkhart County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The pilot program which began this spring, featured two gardens, one at Das Dutchman Essenhaus, Middlebury, and the other at American Countryside Farmers Market, Elkhart. Both gardens drew Goshen-area residents and tourists alike as word spread about the attraction.
The Essenhaus garden was a basic nine-patch pattern created by Gary and Linda Henderson that included more than 6,000 individual plants of five different varieties.
Lance Miller, vice president of operations for Essenhaus, said the garden has drawn a lot of attention to his family’s business, as well as the Middlebury community.
“We have people come to Middlebury just to see the garden, and the inn receives calls from guests who are requesting rooms on the quilt side,” he said.
The concept for public gardens that marries the community heritage of Amish quilts and flower gardening began in 2006 with the Elkhart County Convention & Visitors Bureau. The countywide project was geared to enhance the traditional destination areas in an original and untraditional manner.
“We decided that to fuel our local economy, we needed a unique selling advantage,” explained David Azinger, president of the bureau commission. “And I’m proud to say we have a truly one-of-a-kind selling advantage.”
Azinger said that staying ahead of the tourism industry is a challenge the bureau has executed well.
“This will encourage local residents to revisit familiar places, and I’m looking forward to the excitement and the ‘buzz’ of this project,” Azinger said.
“This is a destination event we will all be proud of,” said Diana Lawson, executive director of the bureau. “We don’t know of another event like this anywhere else in the country. We will have a tremendous success on our hands.”
Lawson said the long-term annual event will run spring through autumn and celebrate the deeply rooted connection to the county’s rural past through art, quilting, gardening and history.
Designed to highlight the distinct and individual aspects of each community, Quilt Garden Tours will produce community involvement and excitement.
A steering committee, consisting of 24 area representatives, has been formed to assist with the development of official Quilt Garden Tour participation guidelines, create an official tour map and create an official logo, brand, signage and information at each site.
Representatives of communities or businesses interested in partcipating in the tour may contact Sonya Harman-Nash, Quilt Garden Tour project manager, by calling (574) 262-8161 or by e-mail at sonya@amishcountry.org.
Participating sites
Quilt gardens
Goshen: The Old Bag Factory
Middlebury: Das Dutchman Essenhaus, Krider Gardens
Nappanee: Ind. 19 gateway, downtown, Amish Acres
Wakarusa: Downtown
Shipshewana: Menno-Hof
Elkhart: American Country-side Farmers Market, River-walk Commons, Linton’s Enchanted Gardens, Thornton Gardens
Quilt Murals
Bristol: Elkhart County Historical Museum
Goshen: The Old Bag Fac-tory
Middlebury: Middlebury Chamber of Commerce, downtown
Nappanee: Redevelopment Commission, four downtown murals
Wakarusa: Alliance Mark-eting, The Wakarusa Dime Store — jumbo jellybean quilt
Local News
Related Photos
Quilt Garden Tour to attract visitors
- Local News
-
-
Goshen VFW Honor Guard helps send their fellow veterans to final rest
The heat of the stuffy May day is starting to gather outside of Rieth-Rohrer Funeral Home in downtown Goshen recently as members of the VFW Post 985 Honor Guard begin to shuffle inside.
-
Duty changes with birth of LaGrange soldier's son
Usually when people think of American veterans they think of men in uniform. More often today, than in yesteryear, the veteran is a woman. In tune with the times, the military has made accommodations for this increase in female recruits.
-
Fairfield graduates ready for the next step
Fairfield High School held its 44th commencement Friday night in its school gymnasium, handing out 145 diplomas.
-
Westview seniors graduate Friday night
Westview High School held its 46th commencement Friday night in its school gymnasium, handing out 97 diplomas.
-
RV shipments up in April
Wholesale shipments of recreational vehicles rose 9.8 percent in April compared to the same month in 2011.
-
UPDATE: Police release names of two killed in Bristol motorcycle crash
Two Elkhart residents were killed Friday night when the motorcycle they were riding crashed along Ind. 15 as they fled police.
-
Police probe possible fatal crash near Bristol
Elkhart County rescue crews responded to a possible double fatal traffic crash on Ind. 15 just south of C.R. 112 at 9:13 p.m. Friday night. Ind. 15 was closed to non-emergency traffic and a Samaritan medical helicopter landed at the scene to assist with rescue efforts.
-
Goshen teen who shot himself Tuesday arrested for using sawed-off gun in robbery
A 17-year-old male recently admitted to IU Health Goshen Hospital for a self-inflicted gunshot wound has been arrested in connection with the robbery of a BP gas station in Goshen this past Sunday.
-
Wild phlox can be found this time of year
Nature’s bounty can sometimes produce unexpected beauty in the form of wildflowers that can pop up anywhere and everywhere. They can be some of the most exhilarating because of the unusual colors, the delicacy of the blossoms, or simply their choice of location to grow.
-
Rinker Foundation donates $5,000 for new ‘learning’ toys
SYRACUSE — The kids are happy. The teachers are excited. The director is pleased. Best of all, at Lakeland Learning Center is using new educational toys to prepare preschoolers to hit the ground running in kindergarten.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
