FLEMINGSBURG, Ky. — A colorful agritourism attraction has bloomed in northeast Kentucky with help from the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. Quilt block gardens are popping up across a five-county area.
Northeast Kentucky is blanketed by many quilt block bedecked barns linked by quilt trails. The barns and trails have been successful agritourism attractions in the area, according to Donna Fryman, a family and consumer sciences agent in Fleming County, who spearheaded the project.
Counties
Agents in Bracken, Lewis, Mason and Robertson counties all expressed interest in the project.
Roseanne Wood, Lewis County program assistant for community development and tourism, began work on the project in her county. She enlisted help from students in the Workforce Improvement class at Lewis County High School to plant a garden with the puritan star pattern on the Lewis County Courthouse lawn.
In Fleming County, Fryman and Cindy Jolly, the county’s Children, Youth and Families at Risk program assistant, worked with youth to put in a garden called “4-H’s” at the Fleming County extension office in honor of Kentucky 4-H’s centennial anniversary this year.
In addition to planting the garden, Fryman and Jolly taught the students about landscape design, plotting, fertilizers, pruning and helped them use math to determine how many plants to use in the flower bed.
Maintenance
The students will maintain the garden throughout the summer. The agents and program assistants hope others will be inspired and interested in growing a garden next year.
Any businesses, schools, community organizations or individuals in the area are welcome to grow a quilt block garden. Gardens need to be at least 8 feet by 8 feet and visible and accessible to the public.
Each business, organization or individual must keep the garden weeded, watered and maintained during the growing season. Area family and consumer sciences agents are keeping track of the gardens to try to avoid duplicate patterns.
