It’s Been Winter So Long...Are We Ever Ready For Spring
by Denise Hitchcock
I picked the first handful of daffodils two days ago
signaling a month long blooming period for the over 14 varieties of flowering
bulbs planted on Deshea Creek Farm. At
the peak, there are thousands of flowers poking up by the creek, in the fields,
next to the house, down the hills and in the woods. I did not plant them, one of the former
owners of the house, Miss Theda worked diligently over a period of many years
to accomplish this botanical legacy.
Today she lives down the road but as a young bride our 1920’s Bungalow
was the one Theda shared with her in-laws.
When I had the opportunity to talk to her about the flowers
I marveled at the flowers planted even on the far side of the creek. Theda rolled her eyes “Worst case of poison
ivy I have ever had!” The story is that
she and her husband were busy sprucing up the homestead, installing a massive
fire-pit barbeque, and planting lots of bulbs in anticipation of a friend of
theirs, Estes Kefauver’s announcement of a Presidential run. Actually, Theda probably did not dig all of
the tiny holes, as I found out prison labor assisted in the bulk of the
plantings. (Wonder if they got poison
ivy also?)
Now, on a yearly basis I have perfect strangers arrive with
babies, children in Easter outfits, Brides and graduates to pose them for
photos among the masses of flowers.
Even the local newspaper gets a yearly beauty shot. The kids do it because their parents always
did it, and the grandparents also. We
inherited the tradition of the daffodils!
With every inheritance comes an obligation. You see, if the flowers are not picked on a
regular basis, the bulbs quit producing.
So I have to give flowers away by the BIG bunches and encourage everyone
who arrives to leave with flowers.
So, the more you give away, the
more you are blessed with next year. Isn’t
that just like God!
Get out there on the BlueHighways and explore this spring!