Community Gardens at IPFW Bloom and Grow

Near Crescent and Coliseum Boulevards in Fort Wayne is the great pedestrian bridge that is passage for students as they walk to campus from student housing. It had been named for a patron, but now the bridge is again unnamed. Tucked under it nearly, on the top of a little hill is the Allen County, Indiana Cooperative Extension Office, in a grassy corner meadow on the IPFW campus.

There you will find the IPFW Community Gardens, which have been planned, built, maintained and manned by trained gardening volunteers. Purdue Master Gardeners go through intensive training to gain the skills needed to do the work that they do here. A beautiful variety of gardens are laid out. Classic English country gardens, raised vegetable and flower beds, ornamental grasses are here for all to see.

As a visitor, one can walk and wander all through these lovely gardens, on the paths laid out. Signage helps a person identify flowers and plants. Different themes abound, and different styles and biomes of plants are carefully tended here.

The Allen County and Purdue Master Gardeners become volunteer leaders after their training. Participants do many kinds of community service to support their passion for their craft. They volunteer to answer phones at a call center, and respond to questions online as well. They conduct community seminars and participate in teaching programs for children.

Applications for the training program are available online. Volunteers can attend scheduled classes regularly. Plant science, nutrition and soil are topics in early sessions. Students go on to cover insects, diseases and weeds in the next few weeks. The intensive lessons also include vegetable gardening, herbs, caring for roses, and annuals and periennials. All this preparation really shows in what they accomplish at the community gardens.

I remember seeing lovely Indiana plants there too - tall sunflowers and corn stalks, and home-grown, mouth-watering tomatoes. The cheerful zinnias, the adorable potting sheds and garden houses were charming. Hydrangeas, roses, petunias - a plethora of pansies were all a delight. I found myself being drawn back and back to visit. The smells, the wind chimes, so pleasant to meander through. I appreciate all the work done there. The gardens are outdoor and seasonal, so be prepared and go at the right times of year for best viewing.