Staff photo / J.T. Whitehouse Springtime is time for preparing beds for planting as Holborn Herb Growers Guild member Stephanie Ensley demonstrates as she cuts back the decorative grass at the Western Reserve Village at the Canfield Fairgrounds.

CANFIELD — Stephanie Ensley of Canfield said she loves driving children to school and bringing people the joy of beautiful gardens.

Ensley grew up in Campbell and graduated from Campbell Memorial High School in 1976. After graduation, she worked various jobs.

“I’ve done a lot of jobs in my life,” she said. “Well over 20 different jobs. Whatever work I could find.”

While working in her younger years, she played on a softball team. It was at the softball field she met her husband, Russell Ensley, who also played softball. The two fell in love and were married in 1984, then moved to Canfield. The couple raised two children, Cory and Jessica, while Stephanie continued to work part-time jobs. She had settled into a job with Canfield Local Schools, working in the cafeteria and serving as a substitute bus driver.

Ten years ago, Ensley applied to the Boardman Local School District for a full-time bus driver position and was hired immediately. The full-time position had an afternoon break in it between bus trips, so she would ride her bike at the Canfield Fairgrounds.

“One day (just over five years ago) I was riding at the Fairgrounds admiring the flowers in bloom,” she said. “I started talking with the ladies about the gardens and one lady (Theresa Lyden) invited me to a Holborn Herb Growers Guild meeting. I went and ended up joining.”

Ensley said the Western Reserve Village has many gardens, each with its own theme. She gave the example of the Doctor’s Office hosts the Medicinal Garden with herbs used as medicine, and the church hosted a garden for biblical herbs.

Ensley began her first year in the guild working with Lyden on the Butterfly Garden. After the first year, she was given her own responsibility in the Spiral Garden.

“The Spiral Garden is a garden that would have been next to a home,” Stephanie said. “The Spiral Garden is a winding garden that places plants according to sunlight and watering needs.”

She said spiral gardens once were common and dated back to the founding of the nation. The gardens would hold cooking herbs like basil. Whoever was doing the cooking, could simply step outside and pick fresh herbs.

Ensley proved herself with the guild and became a regular at the Western Reserve Village . She picks up Boardman students in the morning, then heads to the Village and works a bit, then is back behind the wheel in the afternoon as she delivers the students back home.

“When I first joined the guild, I didn’t know much about herbs,” she said. “Now I use fresh herbs in my meals.”

At the Village, Stephanie designs her Spiral Garden for looks. It will contain some herbs like lavender, but will have a lot of blooming flowers. She said all the Guild members take a garden to care for and most use flowers to make the gardens look good at fair time, as many herbs are done blooming before the fair.

Considering all the gardens and the number of plants needed, Ensley got involved with the Guild’s big fundraiser, the annual Holborn Herb Growers Guild plant sale. This year the sale will be May 21 at the Fairgrounds. The Guild places orders for plants to be used at the WRV’s various themed gardens, then takes the excess plants for the sale. The event also includes twice-loved plants.

“Members of the Guild grow their own plants and herbs at home, then offer them during the plant sale,” Ensley said. “Twice-loved plants are our biggest sellers.”

Ensley jumped on board to serve as co-chair for the plant sale, along with Virginia Bartos. This year will be the third year the two have worked together on the sale.

After the sale, the funds are used to help at the gardens. Each member has his or her own garden, and each is allotted a budget to use for plants. Most of the work is done in early spring preparing the beds, then planting. After the plants are put in, the only tasks left are to water and pull weeds.

“I water every day, unless it rains,” Ensley said.

As a bus driver, the mid-day break allows her to devote time to the gardens. During the summer, Stephanie is off from the bus driving and continues spending her time gardening.

By fair time, all the hard work pays off as the gardens are the focus for so many fairgoers who enjoy the Western Reserve Village.

Ensley also has taken her passion for gardening to the Boardman bus garage, sowing a nice garden at the new facility on Tod Avenue. A fellow bus driver said, “Stephanie spearheaded the effort, and it looks great.”

At home, Enlsey has her own gardens where she grows peppers and beets from seed. In the future, she plans on moving up the ladder with the Guild and filling her term as an officer while continuing her gardening passion.

“Gardening is my relaxing time,” she said. “I love to get outside and get my hands in the dirt.”

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jtwhitehouse@vindy.com