Ester Bethel in the garden outside her home.
2017 Fellowship rose
Talk about blooming! In addition to the five other beautiful gardens on the Mayflower
Community (Grinnell IA) campus, there are two specialty gardens that are lush and budding. As pictured above, the rose strip along the north end of Mayflower Lane is vibrant with a variety of rose colors.
This rose garden originally was developed and maintained by Marie and Al Eisenman, who lived across the Lane since 1993. (Al died in 2011.) A couple of years ago, Marie retired from the arduous pruning, weeding, and watering. Care was then taken over by the Mayflower gardens and grounds staff, headed by supervisor, Ben Pearce, a certified Master Gardner.
That rose garden is the site of the planting of the annual “Fellowship of Givers” rose. Each bush planted since 2008 is commemorative of the giving spirit of Mayflower’s numerous donors. Pictured is the 2017 Fellowship rose.
Across the lane near the main entrance to the Mayflower Altemeier building, is the garden planted and maintained by resident Esther Bethel. Outside Esther’s apartment west window, the mixture of flowers and greenery is a tribute to the work Esther has invested in the area since she moved to Mayflower in June of 2015.
— Bob Mann, Sales & Marketing Director
