Mary Ann Ellis
What lurks in the woods?
The aroma of well-decayed compost teased my nostrils Friday morning and the crisp, cool spring breeze caressed my face, keeping at bay the mosquitoes, at least for a while. The pungent smell of dirt grew stronger as I raked dead leaves, small sticks, and pine straw into piles to mulch my flower beds. My grandson Stuart and I had picked up a barrelful of pine cones before we started raking. We worked close to the bigger woods that form the side of our property, but not actually in them. In fact, we were working right in the back yard under a copse of oaks, pines, and assorted small trees that I can’t identify.
This lovely area right behind the gym set is a magical place. My children and grandchildren have climbed trees there and hunted imaginary prey with imaginary rifles for many years now. They’ve captured bears, deer, foxes, and wild cats and cooked them right on the spot. I confess that I’ve never actually seen a bear in Pine Grove, but the children did. I know because they described them to me in excited breathless voices.
“You should have seen him, Grandma,” little Jakey said. “He was as big as your house. Good thing I caught him for you.”
Stuart and I saw no bears Friday morning though. We raked merrily, chatting about anything and nothing. We loaded piles of mulch on the trailer and carried it to the newest flower bed—the one filled with golden daylilies. Carefully we tucked the dark, rich mulch around the flowers, making it thick to hold in water and keep the roots cool when the heat descends upon us as it surely will soon. I know I could buy bales of pine straw, but think of all the money I save doing it this way. Besides, that money can now be used to buy more flowers, and I am a lover of flowers, especially petunias and vinca, commonly called penny winkles by the older folks in this region. I’ve grown those two plants every year since the gardening bug bit me long ago. I never tire of them.
“You know, Stuart, if we trim this palmetto a little bit, we can bring the trailer closer to the raked piles,” I said.
For the complete column pick up your copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands or CLICK HERE to Subscribe.
“You should have seen him, Grandma,” little Jakey said. “He was as big as your house. Good thing I caught him for you.”
Stuart and I saw no bears Friday morning though. We raked merrily, chatting about anything and nothing. We loaded piles of mulch on the trailer and carried it to the newest flower bed—the one filled with golden daylilies. Carefully we tucked the dark, rich mulch around the flowers, making it thick to hold in water and keep the roots cool when the heat descends upon us as it surely will soon. I know I could buy bales of pine straw, but think of all the money I save doing it this way. Besides, that money can now be used to buy more flowers, and I am a lover of flowers, especially petunias and vinca, commonly called penny winkles by the older folks in this region. I’ve grown those two plants every year since the gardening bug bit me long ago. I never tire of them.
“You know, Stuart, if we trim this palmetto a little bit, we can bring the trailer closer to the raked piles,” I said.
For the complete column pick up your copy of The Baxley News-Banner on newsstands or CLICK HERE to Subscribe.
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