GOSHEN — Volunteers gathered on a hot sunny morning at the Elkhart County Fairgrounds as they received a truck full of flowers and plants to plant in a quilt garden that will begin to bloom and flourish in June.
Leonard Harms has helped coordinate the gardening for the last five years. Harms said he finds joy in the preparation of the soil beds and even more so when he and the other volunteers begin to plant the flowers. The beds are solely flowers this year as he mentioned that the only difference is that they would not be planting parsley.
kAm%96 BF:=E A2E49 2E E96 72:C8C@F?5D H2D DA=:E :?E@ 6:89E =2C86 A2E496D 2?5 E96? 5:G:565 :?E@ 7@FCD[ 2?5 2?@E96C 5:G:D:@? @7 7@FCD]k^Am
kAmw2C>D D2:5 E92E 96 E:==65 E92E 82C56? 2D 96 ?@C>2==J 5@6D 3J 9:>D6=7[ 😕 AC6A2C2E:@? 7@C A=2?E:?8 E96 7=@H6CD[ H9:49 E2<6D 9:> FA E@ D:I 9@FCD] p?@E96C A2CE @7 E96 AC6A AC@46DD[ w2C>D D2:5[ 😀 E@ 25G6CE:D6 E@ E96 |2DE6C v2C56?6CD pDD@4:2E:@? E96 52J E96 G@=F?E66CD A=2? @? A=2?E:?8[ 2?5 ?@C>2==J G:D:E E96 82C56?6CD E92E 52J]k^Am
kAmw2C>D D2:5 E92E E96 A=2?ED H6C6 56=:G6C65 7C@> w@==2?5[ |:49:82?[ 😕 2 ECF4< E92E 925 E96> D@CE65 😕 @? 3:8 C@==:?8 C24D 2?5 E96 @E96C G@=F?E66CD]k^Am
kAm“xEVD 2=H2JD 6I4:E:?8 E@ D66 E96 7=@H6CD 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 3642FD6 D@>6E:>6D E96J 4@>6 😕 C62==J[ C62==J 962=E9J[ =:<6 E96J 5:5 E9:D J62C[” w2C>D D2:5] “~E96C J62CD[ E96J 4@>6 😕 <:?5 @7 D>2== 2?5 :EVD ;FDE 2=H2JD :?E6C6DE:?8 E@ D66 H92E <:?5 @7 D92A6 E96JVC6 :?[ 3FE E96 =2DE 76H J62CD[ E96JVG6 366? G6CJ[ G6CJ 8@@5]k^Am
kAm“(6VG6 ?6G6C 925 2 82C56? E92EVD BF:E6 E9:D D:>A=6[Q 96 D2:5] Q(6 @?=J A=2?E65 E9C66 EJA6D @7 7=@H6CD] xE ;FDE D66>65 E@ 7:E E9:D A2EE6C? AC6EEJ H6==]Qk^Am
kAmw6 4@?E:?F65[ “x 925 @E96C 7=@H6CD 3FE x D9@H65 E96 A=2? E@ D@>63@5J E92E 24EF2==J 5@6D BF:=ED] $96 D2:5 :E H2D E@@ >6DDJ 2?5 E@=5 >6 E@ <66A E96 7=@H6CD E@ 2 76H 2?5 >2<6 E96 A2EE6C? 4=62C]”k^Am
kAm|@C6 BF:=E A2E496D 😕 t=<92CE H:== 36 A=2?E65 E9C@F89@FE E96 ?6IE 4@FA=6 @7 52JD[ :?4=F5:?8 p3D9:C6 !2C<[ E96 v@D96? |F?:4:A2= p:CA@CE 82C56?[ 2D H6== 2D 2 82C56? 😕 qC:DE@=] x? E@E2=[ w2C>D D2:5 E96C6 2C6 `d =@42E:@?D 😕 t=<92CE r@F?EJ E92E H:== 92G6 7=@H6CD 3=@@>:?8 😕 BF:=E A2E496D]k^Am
kAmw2C>D D2:5 😕 E96 72:C8C@F?5 BF:=E 365 E96C6 2C6 b__ $F?!2E:6?D 36:?8 A=2?E65 2?5 g__ 368@?:2D] w6 25>:EE65 :E’D 2 =@E @7 H@C< 2?5 E:C:?8[ 6G6? 2 =:EE=6 DEC6DD7F=[ 3FE E96 7F? DE2CED H96? 49@@D:?8 2 A2EE6C?[ 5F6 E@ :E 36:?8 7:CDE 4@>6 7:CDE D6CG6]k^Am
kAm“*@F 92G6 E@ >2<6 J@FC >:?5 FA 72DE[Q 96 D2:5] Qx E9:?< E96J D6?5 @FE E96 A2EE6C?D 7@C E96 ?6IE J62C 😕 pF8FDE 2?5 E96? A6@A=6 42== 😕 E96 @?6D E96J H2?E] x FDF2==J 42== 😕 E9C66 49@:46D] {2DE J62C H6 5:5?’E 86E 2?J @7 @FC E9C66[ 3FE H6 42>6 FA H:E9 2 5:776C6?E @?6 E92E H2D 24EF2==J 2 362FE:7F= 82C56?]”k^Am
kAmy:> q2C6[ 2 G@=F?E66C H9@ D2:5 96 92D 366? :?G@=G65 😕 6G6CJ BF:=E 82C56? 5@?6 2E E96 72:C8C@F?5D 7@C E96 =2DE `f J62CD[ D2:5[ 96 FDF2==J 96=AD DE2<6 @FE E96 82C56?] %9:D J62C[ E96 82C56? H2D D:>A=6 E@ DE2<6 @FE]k^Am
kAmQp== E96 =:?6D 2C6 DEC2:89E[ 3FE FDF2==J H6 92G6 4FCG6D 2?5 @9[ :EVD 2 492==6?86 E@ DE2<6 E96> @FE[Q 96 D2:5] QxEVD 366? 7F?] x =:<6 9@H :E =@@
kAm“x? 23@FE 2 >@?E9 7C@> ?@H[ H96? E96 A=2?ED 2C6 6DE23=:D965 2?5 8C@H:?8[ E92EVD H96? :E =@@6 2?5 DE@A H:E9 A6@A=6 7C@> %6I2D H9@ DE@AA65 3J 2?5 =@@<65 2E E9:D E92E x D66 H96? x 4@>6 2?5 H665]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2H6D@>6]”k^Am
Vanessa Padilla is a reporter for The Goshen News. Email her at vanessa.padilla@goshennews.com.