Pardee Gunter of Leesburg is a master gardener and master naturalist.
He grew up helping his parents with their garden and now has his own, located across the street from his home. His wife, Toshiko, specializes in house plants and the flowers in the yard.
Both were head gardeners of the Biblical Gardens and the Gardens in Central Park in Warsaw. Photo by Lauren Zeugner.

By Lauren Zeugner
InkFreeNews

LEESBURG — Pardee Gunter of Leesburg didn’t really have choice when it came to gardening. His parents had a large kitchen garden where they grew green beans, peas, corn and much more.

“They didn’t often experiment. One year they did try peanuts,” he said.

But The peanut crop wasn’t as large as they hoped.

Gunter grew up enjoying vegetables and said he really can’t pick a favorite.

Gunter taught in Warsaw Community Schools for 45 years.

“It’s hard to be a good teacher and have a garden,” he said.

He taught in several Warsaw elementary schools and served as principal and half-day teacher at Atwood.

Gunter also spent two years teaching junior high and high school students English in Japan. He even tried to have a small garden outside his apartment while living in Japan.

“The Japanese always have a garden,” he said.

While in Japan, he met his wife, Toshiko. When his teaching contract was up, the couple returned home to Warsaw.

Toshiko took the master gardeners course offered through Purdue Extension.

“I couldn’t help but get interested,” he said. “She‘s the plant lady.”

The Gunters live in the home Pardee grew up in. They enclosed the wrap around porch and installed sky lights to turn it into a greenhouse where Toshiko can work on her plants.

After finishing the master gardeners course, Toshiko began volunteering at the Biblical Gardens in Warsaw, eventually taking on the head gardener position. Gunter started to help out.

He eventually took the master gardener’s course in 2009. Toshiko eventually moved the gardens at Central Park. Gunter took over caring for the Biblical Gardens.

Gunter said he took over the Biblical Gardens and taught for two more years.

“That didn’t work. It was too much, “ he said, noting both school and the gardens required a lot of work in both the spring and fall.

Officiall, the Biblical Gardens open April 15, but prior to that a lot of work needs to be done. Seeds need to be ordered and started in flats and supplies for the fountain needs to be ordered.

While Toshiko takes care of the plants around the yard, Gunter has a vegetable garden located across the street.

“This is going to be the year to get things under control here,” he said explaining when both he and Toshiko working in the gardens in Warsaw, there wasn’t much time to do things at their home. This year both have retired from the Biblical Gardens and the Gardens in Central Park.

Toshiko grows “every type of flower available. She tries to get Japanese varieties when possible.”

Along with the master gardener program, Gunter was also interested in the Indiana Master Naturalist program. The master naturalist program is broader than the master gardener program as it covers subjects such as wetlands, bird watching and more.

Gunter took the master naturalist program in Elkhart County. He then tried to see about the program being offered in Koscisuko County. He tried the county extension office which referred him to the Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District. The SWCD was on board with offering the master naturalist classes and the first one was held in 2016.

“We’ve had a full class ever since,” Gunter said.

Along with spending time in his gardens, he serves on the board for the master gardener program and on the advisory committee for the naturalist program. He also serves on the board of the Biblical Gardens.

Gunter said it was interesting the difference between teaching kids and teaching adults.

“Everyone in the class wants to learn,” he said about teaching adults. “In the process of doing that, I learn too.”

The naturalist class offers a class a month for eight months, with experts teaching their specific topics.

Gunter has three grown children, a daughter and two sons, 11 grandchildren and one great grandchild.

He has started his own garden, recently planting potatoes and onions.

When not in his garden, he is an avid cyclist.