How Does Your Garden Grow?

Mrs. Crumpton standing in front of her very tall red crepe myrtle bush.

PJ Martin

Editor

The Herald-News

“It has more blooms on it this year than I have ever seen,” said Mrs. Mary Crumpton, referring to the huge red crepe myrtle at the side of her yard. The bush is around 20 feet tall now, but she remarked that it was only a couple of feet tall when she planted it. Bordering her property along with that bush is pink and purple myrtle, redbud, and dogwood trees.

Granny, as she is lovingly called, has more energy than most folks her age. She’s 86 years young and very independent. She doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. She and her late husband Robert raised eight children and she now has 12 grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren.

Most friends and family know how much she cares for her flowers and trees and that she still likes taking care of them even though she has heart issues. “It keeps me busy,” she says.

Besides the pear, cherry, and apple trees, she has blackberry briars, hollyhock bushes, roses, daisies, a weeping cherry, pines, and many others, plus a rock garden with ferns and deadwood stumps decorating the side of her garage and various flowering plants and bushes landscaped completely around her home.

She does admit there are some things she has to get someone else to do such as trimming trees and cleaning gutters. But if she can manage, she likes to do things on her own such putting a new coat of paint on the shed (which she is currently doing).

As she walked through the colorful landscape she recalled who gifted which tree or flower, all the while reminiscing as we went. It’s clear to see she loves and cares for each and every one.

A close up of the stunning vibrant red blooms on the crepe myrtle. The photo does not do it justice.

Just one small section of the gardens near her driveway.