By Mandy McFarland Editor
NAPPANEE — Without knowing it, the Nappanee Home and Garden Club chose a perfect day to host their annual Garden Walk, with plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures.
Fervida
The first garden on the walk belonged to Don and Betty Fervida. titled “A Farmer’s Work is Never Done,” features a variety of Betty’s favorite annuals and perennials spread throughout the property. A vegetable garden and strawberry patch help to keep variety on the couple’s dinner table, as well.
Reed

Gil and Edna Reed reside in a refurbished 1888 school house, and their garden is appropriately titled, “School’s in Session.” The centerpiece of the property is a unique vegetable garden featuring raised beds, which allows Edna to plant vegetables that may not do well in the naturally-occurring clay soil. The vegetables are also easier to access, allowing for seating instead of crouching, and making it easier to cover them in the early spring and late fall in case of frost.
Love
Ann and Clayton Love invited guests to tour their “Honey of a Home” garden, where they raise not only flowers, but bees. The flowers and the bees work together, the bees pollinating the flowers and the flowers sustaining the bees. In return, the Loves have plenty of fresh honey. Ann added that, while their kids often play outside between the bee hives and the gardens, stings are rare.
“Most of the stings we have are when we’re working with the hives,” she said.
The Loves try to choose flowers like coral bells, columbine and other flowers that the bees like. A waterscape also provides water for the bees, a place to grow water lilies and a home for a variety of fish and frogs.
Yoder
Turning the corner garden walkers entered the property of Irv and Shirley Yoder, titled “Cabin Fever.” A short walk from the many gardens and the pond that surround the Yoders’ home is a small cabin with a fire pit, where the family often enjoys Friday night cookouts and sleepovers in the summertime. Their daughter’s Sunday School class enjoys their annual Saturday overnighter in the cabin, with church outside the next day.
Hahn
A short distance away from the rest of the gardens, down a narrow dirt road, the home of Dave and Bets Hahn features an authentic 1860s log cabin out back. The farm was originally homesteaded by Dave’s grandmother’s grandparents. The couple purchased the log cabin, which was about to be burned, and brought it to their property and rebuilt it behind their house. Now flower gardens surround the authentic log structure, as well as the original house on the property. A tranquil pond with a waterfall gives the garden its title, “Down by the Swimmin’ Hole.”
The Fervida residence featured a variety of local gardening-related vendors, and “Bee Smart” talks took place at the Love residence at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m.
About the club
The Nappanee Home and Garden Club meets the third Tuesday of each month. Those who would like to know more about the club and the garden walk can call Betty Fervida at 773-4220.