The chocolate garden at the Barry County fair.
Michelle Rodgers and I had a guided tour of the Barry County fair yesterday by two outstanding 4-Hers, David Comeau and Julie Feldpausch. After touring many of the 4-H exhibits, we ended our tour with the incredible gardens exhibited at the fair. There’s a great mix of showcase gardens, some by Master Gardeners, some by 4-H youth, and some by our nutrition education program staff for SNAP-ED participants. One that caught my eye (and nose and taste buds) was a garden that featured plants connected to a chocolate theme. We can’t grow cacao outdoors in Michigan, but there were many others that tied together around an attractive theme: chocolate sunflowers, chocolate peppers, chocolate mint, chocolate daisy, chocolate pansies, chocolate Ajuga, and even chocolate cosmos. In addition, they used a mulch made from husks of roasted cacao beans. What a great idea, and it’s the brainstorm of Master Gardener volunteer Diana McGuire. I’m sure others have found other plants linked to chocolate either by aroma, flavor or color. I think I’m ready for an iced mocha about now.
