Guest post by Marci Penner, Kansas Sampler Foundation
YOU FIND KANSAS… when you find Mona.
We were about to leave the town of Dresden on our ERV guidebook research when we saw a simple sign against the cracked surface of the old basketball court. We had to find out. Who was Mona and what kind of market could she have in this town of 40?
It was a sprawling and delightful nursery! It was a great example of what can happen when you put together a woman with a green thumb and a handy husband who is willing to do some pretty big “honey do’s” (like build a greenhouse or two — or three). That’s how you create Mona’s Market.
The potting shed is the centerpiece, worn boards serving as a backdrop for every flower under the sun that can handle the Kansas heat.
This is a very professional place and is dotted with Mona’s husband’s farm-stuff sculptures that serve as garden art or a place to hang plants.
The heart and soul of it all is Mona, as talented, good-natured and hard working as they come. You just feel better about things after a visit to Mona and her nursery.
Marci Penner and her crew are visiting every town in the state of Kansas to update their amazing small town Kansas guidebook. You can donate towards the project, or just learn more about the Kansas Sampler Foundation and their many projects you can borrow and adapt for your small town. Thank you, Marci, for allowing me to reprint this story and photos for everyone.
Mona’s Market is located in Dresden, in northwest Kansas, USA, population 40 (forty) people. Sa-lute!
