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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. [Rroudjtffl^indeDGndenH ftmencaniDusiiTessSwi^ l or all your business & home office a f-vstoivr H2 5L±crtrSt ■ fll|T39V Wdvritisbtiiu 8//-WS-BtSI office solutions 4M».be3KifltisriiiilHa5.atffl JV6I _ _ . _ I Follow us on INSTAGRAM @ themillennews $ Hometown Florist Since 1987 (478)982-2153 79 7 17 Cotton Ave. Millen, Georgia 30442 C o ui 3 U c J* o o -O QJ U rt LL 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 visit our facebook page Sam Eades. Auctioneer G A L #4083