Ginger lilies bloom in the Warsaw Central Park Gardens. Photo courtesy of Kosciusko County Community Foundation.
news release
WARSAW — Officials at Warsaw Central Park Gardens have welcomed a new gardener, Ginger Lily, after longtime gardener Toshiko Gunther announced her retirement after 14 years of service.
“It would be a dream come true to think that one day I could know half as much about flowers and plants as she does,” said Sean Gardner, superintendent of the Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department. “I'm sad to see her retire, but she definitely deserves it,” he added.
Warsaw's Central Park Gardens, which features about 200 varieties of annual and perennial plants, was established in 1996 with an endowment from the Kosciuszko County Community Foundation, donors being Robert and Roman Maisch, former owners of Little Crow Foods.
Meet Ginger Lily
Lily, an Oregon native who has now lived in Warsaw for 10 years, noticed the job ad on Facebook.
“My mom is a horticulturist and she taught me everything from the age of 3 to flowers, weeding, transplanting, and everything else,” she says. Lily furthered her education by attending Oregon State University's School of Horticulture, where she also helped maintain the botanical gardens along the way.
“I love this area and am honored to be able to learn the secrets of these beautiful gardens under Toshiko's guidance,” she said.
Favorite flower
“Tulips! The deer love them, and so do I,” she said with a smile, adding that daffodils are an alternative that the deer can't touch. “Another flower I'm proud of in Central Park are the purple alliums. I love how they seem to float in the gardens, and they're such a unique addition to the space.”
Gardening Tips
When asked what advice Lily would like to give to anyone thinking about gardening, she said to keep trying.
“If you try something and it doesn't work out as you expected, don't assume you're a bad gardener. Keep trying. The fun part about gardening is that small adjustments to your plan, like more or less water or sunlight, can often produce the results you expected.”
