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Page 2 — Wednesday, August 18, 2021 The Millen News
Gardening with Taimadge
“Forcing Bulbs for
Spring Cheer”
Taimadge Fries
Now is the time to plan
for spring cheer and blooms
in your home. If you do not
have an outdoor garden area
and you want some colorful
blooms in your home in the
spring or if you want early
spring blooms in your home,
plan now for an indoor con
tainer garden. The indoor
container garden can be a
single planter, or a variety of
containers. Examples are clay
pots, small metal buckets,
glass bowls and just about
anything you have that will
hold dirt and allow for water
ing.
A container of sunny daf
fodils, cheerful tulips, fragrant
hyacinths or narcissus, or a
majestic amaryllis blooming
indoors can be a treat. To en
joy these beautiful blooms in
winter, you must make plans in
the fall. Depending on the type
of bulb, it may take anywhere
from 1-4 months from the
time the bulbs are potted, until
they burst into blooms.
Some tips on growing or
forcing bulbs indoors are listed
by bulb in the following para
graphs. Always remember to
plant bulbs in a pot with the
pointed ends up, water until the
soil is evenly moist.
Place in a cool (35-50 de
grees) dark place like in a re
frigerator, basement or garage.
Check the pots regularly, once
shoots start to emerge, bring
the pots inside to a cool room
with indirect sunlight. A week
or so later, the bulbs can enjoy
fall sun at 60+ degrees. Keep
the soil lightly moist and in
2-3 weeks, your spring flowers
will bloom.
Amaryllis will bloom in 6-8
weeks and place one bulb in
a 6 in pot. Crocus need to be
chilled and takes 2 weeks to
bloom once warmed and can
place 8-12 bulbs in a 6 in pot.
Daffodils and Narcissus
need to be chilled and takes 2-3
weeks to bloom once warmed
and 3-5 bulbs in a 6 in pot.
Hyacinths need to be chilled
and takes 2-3 weeks to bloom
once wanned and 3 bulbs to a 6
in pot. Tulips need to be chilled
and takes2-3 weeks to bloom
once warmed with 5 bulbs in
a 6 in pot.
Enjoy the spring bulbs and
for more information, join a
local Garden Club.
The end o f an era
-Dr. Kyle Gay
I ’ve recently come to what can be justly called the end of an era for me. Gracie Ann Jones decided to finally hang up her spurs and
enjoy a long-awaited and well-deserved retirement. Known to most as ‘Grace Ann,’ she had become the cheerful face of my office
over the years (and certainly a much more appealing one than my grizzled mug). But our story has its beginnings many moons afore.
Some of the fondest memories of my childhood stem from
times spent across the road with Granddaddy and Grand-
mama (AKA Dr. and Mrs. Mulkey). But I actually had two
grandmothers there that I was equally excited and happy to
see when I would hop on the three-wheeler to go down for a
visit. “Jenny” was one of those rare people that are perennially
j oyful. Of all the many years I was blessed by her presence, I
truthfully cannot recall a single time in which she was not in
the best of moods. I struggle to decide if that was her great
est gift, versus her gumbo and homemade little biscuits that
made me want to slap my little sister, repeatedly.
Jenny was often accompanied by her daughter, enter Grace
Ann, who later started helping my parents take care of three
Hellish children, plus me. Knowing my siblings as I well
do, I can assure you that was not a pleasant undertaking, but
she did it with a style and character she acquired honestly.
She and I certainly had our hands full with those three, and
I tried earnestly to help ease her burden, but alas I was just
young Padawan and still inexperienced in my workings of the
disciplinary arts. It’s no wonder my mama often referred to
her as a Godsend, although I imagine Grace Ann sometimes
felt as if she had been sent by someone else of a more horned
and red-tailed variety.
I can’t seem to recall Granddaddy Mulkey ever riding a white
horse, but nevertheless he eventually came along and rescued
Grace Ann from the depths of the abysmal dungeon created by my villainous siblings. Over time, her nightmares slowly subsided
and her scars healed, finally allowing her to settle in to work there in his office for many years to come. Most assuredly more of a
blessing to me than her, I too went to work there from the age of twelve until leaving for a lengthy foray in the world of academia.
Interestingly, I recall how sometimes she would be seemingly startled when I would walk into the room, but I always figured that
for a split second she thought I was my brother and had some sort of mini-PTSD episode.
In due course, I went off to college and subsequent medical school before returning home to establish a practice. With Grace Ann
still by his side, Granddaddy was still working and going strong despite advancing years and declining health. Time marched on
for a spell but ultimately nature did what nature does and he was gone.
Now please withhold any unsolicited comments from the proverbial Peanut Gallery as I admit that I’ve undoubtedly made more
than my share of miseries alongst my path, but I’ve also managed to pull off a few triumphs as well, not the least of which was
convincing (i.e. conned, coerced, or duped) Grace Ann to come to work with me. And the rest, as they say, is history.
With some health and physical thorns in her side, she continued to work for years in a time when that seems to be going out of
style, as society now tends to reward slothfulness over diligence and productivity. Yet finally, and after more years that either of us
would like to admit, someone that I’ve seen as a mother, a friend, a coworker, and colleague, finally gets her due and well-earned
reward, and I can only wish her the best.
And lest she be tempted to divulge any colorful tales and anecdotes from my sordid past that would make me blush even through
my Corona mask, I still have my Ace-in-the-hole to toss and thus reveal her home address to my siblings.
And only now, as Paul Harvey would say, do you know the rest of the story.
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Millen, Georgia 30442
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onsite Estate Auction
547 College Ax?e. - Millen, Georgia 30442
Saturday - September 4th -10:00 a.m.
We are selling the complete contents of the
Sarah Humphrey Estate in Millen, Georgia
Preview
9:00 a.m.
hi
4?
Accountants
Desk
From Original
Bank of Millen
Bring Your Lawn Chair!
All items are sold as is, where is, without any guarantees
either expressed or implied. A 10% buyers premium is
applied to all bids. We accept Cash, Credit or Debit
Cards. No checks accepted.
For More Information:
(478)401-5007
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Sam Eades. Auctioneer
G A L #4083