Spring is my favorite time of the year
Spring is my favorite time of the year as flowers and trees awaken from their long winter sleep.
Franklin County has the advantage of a moderate climate. Redbud and tulip magnolias are among the first to announce seasonal change with their spectacular displays. The thrift at the historic McIntosh House in downtown Russellville never disappoints with its pink blooms.
Some of us have particularly difficult soil for flower cultivation. We live in the old mine heads on the hills above Russellville. That area was, years ago, leveled enough to build houses, but inches below the surface there’s a multitude of small rocks.
Thankfully, there is the option of container gardening. We can participate even if on a smaller scale. Potting soil creates favorable conditions, and portability gives the advantage of being able to easily move sensitive plants inside at unexpectedly late freezes or frosts.
PHOTO BY ELTON CAMP -When my parents, sold the homeplace and moved to Franklin County, they brought their amaryllises along.
My favorites are amaryllises.
When my parents, in their old age, sold the homeplace and moved to Franklin County, they brought them along. Every spring, they provided a brilliant display under my father’s careful attention. In the years since the passing of my parents, I have managed to keep the amaryllises going. When their sturdy leaves break the surface, it’s time to move them outside.
I learned a costly lesson about deer. They have an appetite for Hosta. We have one shady, fertile spot where those plants had prospered for years. To my chagrin, I found that deer had devastated them in a single night. When I replant, it will be inside the fence, hopefully out of reach of those beautiful, but destructive critters.
I will be looking forward to seeing what the garden club does for us in the hanging baskets they provide downtown.
Franklin County is a fine place to live. Let’s hope that spring brings no more of those severe storms and we can enjoy our yards and gardens in safety.
Elton Camp is a retired teacher and assistant dean. He worked many years at Northwest Shoals Community College and Bevill State Community College.
