Waupaca woman nurtures plants for seven decades
By Angie Landsverk
Eleanor Muenster’s interest in gardening started when she was just a child.
“I grew up on a farm,” she said.
Muenster remembers telling her mother about the interest and being given an approximately 6 foot by 3 foot strip in which to plant.
She planted red four o’clock flowers in it and then took out the seeds, replanting them.
Muenster has been gardening for a total of 72 years.
Fifty-one of those years have been at the Muenster Garden.
“I’m interested in all types of gardening,” she says.
The family garden is 110 feet by 110 feet.
“It’s a complete garden,” Muenster said.
There are about 30 rows in it, and the first five rows are all flowers.
One row blooms in the spring.
A row of zinnias are planted in the middle of the garden.
That is because Muenster loves color.
She said the garden’s arrangement pretty much stays the same from year to year.
Some crops are rotated.
There is a lot of produce in the garden.
Asparagus, raspberries, beans, Swiss chard, potatoes, red beets, tomatoes, carrots, rhubarb and pumpkins are among the items grown.
Sunflowers and corn are found in corner.
Muenster and her children tend to the garden.
She enjoys the work.
“Gardening has been quite challenging this year with the rapid weed growth,” she said.
That is due to all the rain.
She also said the garden got a late start, which means much of the produce is later than usual.
Muenster said she goes out in the garden “as soon as the dew is off.”
When she is in it, she does not keep track of the time.
“It’s endless,” Muenster said of time. “I don’t count. It’s just my interest and my spirit. It’s just like anything else you like to do.”