Jeannie's Travel Addiction

Rock Run Manor Garden & Jazz It Up Mural in  Elkhart, IN

July 8, 2015

Recently  I ventured to  Elkhart County, Indiana.    I saw  colorful gardens, back roads of  peaceful  Amish farm country, stuffed myself with  wonderful Amish cooking  and did a bit of  shopping, all amongst Amish families  going about their daily lives.   Two  popular  attractions in the area, Linton’s Enchanted Garden and and  the RV Hall of Fame Museum were also  very enjoyable.   This 1st posting of my adventure is regarding  the Heritage  Trail.   Every  year  (May 1 – October 1)  the towns of Elkhart, Bristol, Goshen, Middlebury, Nappansee, Shipshewana and Wakarusa host a Quilt Gardens Tour  and supplies their visitors with a free map and CD of the  Trail.  This year there were 19 gardens,  all modeled after different quilt patterns and 21 quilt themed murals.  The map and  CD are very helpful but I also used my GPS.   I have  picked out my favorite gardens to share with you :

Pomegranate Window Garden ( 3700 plants)  in Elkhart,  next door to the Ruthmere House.

Ruthmere  is an elegant historical home from 1908, now open for tours and special events.  As my time was limited I did not see the inside.

But that gives me one of many reasons to return.

Oma’s Blumen Garten  of 3300 plants in Nappanee.  Popcorn is one variety of plant used in this display.

Legacy Garden with its  3300 plants is located next to the Old Bag Factory in Goshen.  The Old Bag Factory was originally  the Cosmo Buttermilk Soap  Company in 1896, then in 1910, it became the the Chicago Detroit Bag Company and  as of 2010 is now full of artisan shops, merchants and the Rolling Scones Bakery.

Lincoln Patriotic Garden,  fashioned after President Lincoln’s Top Hat, sits to the side of the 1841  Goshen Courthouse.  The small  stone structure was built in 1939  for police to watch for and fend off would-be bank robbers and gangsters from that era.

Pink Swirls of Hope Garden of 8400 plants,  is located at Linton’s Enchanted Garden in Elkhart.  This was my favorite garden in the tour.  Linton’s was wonderful  also  – but that deserves a posting  all of it’s own.

Wild Geese Garden of 3800 plants in  downtown Wakarusa.

Lastly here are Amish Murals that were on display in  downtown Nappanee.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more of Amish Country in Indiana!