I can’t think of two words that are more lovely and more lovely TOGETHER. As the fields around me fade to browns and grays, I look back over my Amish pictures and what jumps out? QUILT GARDENS.

When we were in Shipshewana this summer we were delighted to discover the Quilt Garden Tour. Free, spread across 7 communities in Northern Indiana, and containing over 90,000 blooms, these 17 gardens are a sight to behold. We were able to visit the ones in Shipshewana, Goshen, Middlebury, Nappanee, and Elkhart.

It was a delight to be driving along a county road or through a small town and realize one was only a block away. We’d pull out our garden map and go exploring. And what a treasure we’d find. I thought it was a wonderful way for the Englisch and Amish communities to offer a joint project to visitors. I’ve been told by readers that one of the most loved aspects of Amish stories is quilting. After visiting the Amish communities in Indiana I understand why. I saw quilts in stores, quilts in B&Bs, and quilts in their gardens!

If you do get up to Indiana in the spring or summer, put the quilt tour on your list of things to see. For the rest of us, enduring the last of summer’s heat, I hope you enjoy the pictures.

V~

Vannettachapman@gmail.com