By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH
Indiana Correspondent

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The gardens surrounding the Allen County extension office do more than just beautify the area; they’re also learning and research tools.

“Each garden has a specific purpose,” said Jackie Hoopfer, an advanced master gardener. “They’re not just here to look pretty.”
The gardens were started in the 1980s when some master gardeners wanted to plant a few flowers, said Ricky D. Kemery, the county’s horticulture extension director. The number of gardens has expanded from six in 1995 to 17.

“The mission is to show people what kinds of plants will do well in this climate and soil,” he said. “We also want the gardens to be a showcase for the city. We want people to come and we want people to use them.”

The extension site features examples of several types of gardens, including woodland fen, patio, herb, cottage, vegetable, rooftop, prairie and rock xeriscape. About 1,500-2,000 varieties of plants are in the gardens, Kemery said.

“We‘re constantly replacing old varieties with newer varieties,” he said. “We‘re planting in real life situations to see how they perform.
“The primary focus is teaching and not just beauty. But while some people have the perception the gardens are just to come and look at, they’re also important for research.”

A trial garden allows the master gardeners to test new seeds and plants already available, to see how they perform in Midwest climate, Hoopfer said. This year’s trial garden features 650 plants, with 59 varieties represented, she added.

The new seeds, which may be available for the public next year, are being tested for Ball Horticulture of Chicago, Hoopfer said.
“These are drought-resistant plants,” she said. “They don’t require a ton of water. They’re trying to come up with trouble-free plants. Last year they focused on color, this year on water.”

Varieties of seeds to be tested include vinca, marigolds and zinnia. The master gardeners will send Ball detailed reports tracing the progress of the plants through the growing season.

“We’re helping the seed companies to develop plants that are really easy-care,” Kemery said. “A lot of times you see plants that are all talk and no walk. It’s very difficult to grow plants in the Midwest, and the clay in northern Indiana is the toughest to grow in.

“This gives them good input before the seeds are ever released. We have no stake in telling them something good or something bad. If it’s a loser, we tell them that.”

The master gardeners are also using the trial garden to work with Rutgers University to test deer-resistant plants and with Mississippi State University to study those resistant to Japanese beetles.
Some plants, such as verbena and violas, will be tested for deer resistance, and others, such as impatiens and sweet pea, for resistance to Japanese beetles. Plants such as snapdragons, zinnia and California poppy will be studied for both.

“These are good, basic plants,” Hoopfer said. “They’re very common and these seeds have been around for a long time. We never know what we’re going to get. We say that the theme of the trial garden is ‘subject to change.’”

About 65-70 master gardeners volunteer their time to the gardens, Kemery said.

The trial, cottage and birds, bees and butterflies gardens will be featured during a “Class in the Garden” workshop June 16. Pre-registration is requested by this Friday. Cost is $2, or participants are asked to bring a toiletry item to be donated to a local women’s and children’s shelter.

For more information, contact the extension office at 260-481-6826.

The gardens provide the community and students at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, which shares the campus with the extension building, a chance to relax, Hoopfer said.
“There are a lot of benches, and you’ll see people sit down, read a book, study or just look around,” she said. “It’s a very calming area.”

About 3,000-5,000 people visit the gardens yearly, Kemery said. “People want to get their wedding pictures taken here. They want to get married here,” he said. “We wanted to make this a community showcase, and also attract people to our office.”
It takes an incredible amount of time to keep the gardens looking beautiful, Kemery said.

“It’s not fluff. It’s a lot of work,” he said. “The master gardener volunteers are not only trained in the gardening, but they’re trained to teach other people.”

Work on any changes or improvements during the year starts by January of that year, Hoopfer said. “We’re an eclectic group, but we all have this in common,” she explained. “We all like to play in the dirt.”