by Ann H.

With the Library’s help, of course! The Enchanted Garden celebrates its 10th season this coming spring, during which the garden and the gardeners have grown! We’ve had challenges to learn from and victories to savor. Together they position us well for our best season yet.

While the garden rests under a blanket of snow, this gardener dreams! Spring conjures up visions of colorful blooms, warm sunshine, plentiful rain, and rich soil. New garden catalogs, books, and now webinars spark grand ideas and plans. I am eager to get my hands in the soil and nurture all the plants and wildlife (not bunnies!) that create our abundant garden.

Visitors to the Enchanted Garden can expect to be wowed by the tried and true as well as something new.

Here’s what you can look forward to:
• An expanded Edible Landscape that combines flowers, herbs, and vegetables lovely enough for your front yard.

• A traditional Native American garden named The Three Sisters featuring corn, beans, and squash.

• Companion planting pairings to help plants get the nutrients they need, fend off pests, attract pollinators, and contribute to a healthy ecosystem.

• Container gardens showcasing vegetables, herbs, and flowers for small spaces.

• 500 pounds (fingers crossed!) of food raised for the Howard County Food Bank.

• A healthy environment that provides for people and pollinators without the use of harmful pesticides and herbicides.

Ambitious plans require many helping hands. We look forward to the return of volunteers, teens, tweens, and children to our Enchanted Garden. Stay tuned for classes and events to be offered all season long!

Ann is a Master Gardener and the Enchanted Garden Coordinator at the HCLS Miller Branch, where she has worked for many years. You can find her smiling in the garden and sharing her passion for plants, nature, and our community.