In Bloom

Mountain Pieris

 Spring is definitely here early  and it is showing with the bloom of Mountain Pieris. This ornamental related to the Mountain Laurel will grow in full sun to partial shade. The one shown in the picture is fully mature and will grow six feet high as well as wide.It is a early bloomer and the new growth on the plant will have a reddish tint to it in the fall. Great for foundation plantings as well as in a grouping with other ornamentals.

Magnolia

       
The Star Magnolia is also a early bloomer and its peddles are usually gone in a few days. So what you see is what you get for this years bloom on this plant. Many people will miss judge the size of of this plant and will put in locations of tight quarters. It is great out in a open space and can handle heat and other wear and tear related to all kinds of weather. Light green leafs grow vigorously through out the year. A tinge of red will tip the top of the leafs later in the season. I like to use them because of its durability and the old world flavor to the flower.

Large Oak in back of the 16 Acres Library

A couple of weeks back I saw the City of Springfield's forestry crew pruning and taking care of the large white oak in back of the 16 Acres Library. So I thought I should write a story about that tree and about the gang that hung around this great Springfield Giant. But first I really want to co mend the forestry crew and Ed Casey the city forester. Great job guys for recognizing this valuable city assist. When I was in elementary school we were taken on a school trip that brought us to different locations in the city of significance. And at time we were told this tree was one of the oldest trees in the city and may-be it was over one hundred years old. At the time I thought if only this tree could talk and tell us what it knows. After the building of the 16 Acres Library the city built a earthen wall around the tree and placed bench's inside the circle for a nice quiet reading area. Well that is when a gang of kids moved in and they would become known as the Circle Gang. Now I had only knew of a few items of the circle gang and even knew that a book was written about them by a Professor at A.I.C. James Coleman. I went looking for the book a while back at the library but it was not there. And then just as I started to prepare some info on the giant oak I came across the book. It turns out my mother in law had been reading it. She obtained it I believe from a former in law who had attended school at the Mill Pond School and may have spent some time with the gang. Now I had only known one person in the gang and had talked to him years after the gang had broken up. He said a lot of stuff the gang did was no different then what everyone else was doing. He also said that didn't make it right but we did what we had to for one reason or another. This gang member was named Muppy Murphy and he died about 2 months after I had that conversation with him from a stroke. In the book all the names are changed. James Coleman the author was a man who at the time was trying to help the youth of the community. His book talks of the blight of the youth of the late 60s. I also wonder if the Mike Morin in the book is Muppy Murphy. I have yet to read the whole book yet but I find it interesting that this giant oak tree has so much history.

     Next week will be our Turf addition for the 2012 growing season. It is still a little early for Pre M, or step 1 and will discuss more options next week.So until next time, yes we can get those hands dirty,

                                                          Eddie Pags, C.G.M.

P.S. Your now a horse of a different color Peyton Manning, Good Luck.