Spring has sprung on Creek Street! I got a bit of a late start on the flowerbeds this year, but yesterday’s weeding revealed quite a few of the perennials from last year, our first year at the Lofts. The autumn ferns, jasmine, a good stand of ajuga, the azaleas, and the Japanese maples will provide a good backdrop for the annuals I’m planting this morning—white vinca; red geraniums; multi-colored portulaca (which spreads like crazy); more lantana, which hopefully will be a perennial too as it sometimes is; and fifteen purple potato vines against the foundation to spread among the other bloomers. I’ll put some zinnia seeds in as well—I never tire of old-fashioned flowers.
When I finish at the Lofts, I’ll take a left turn at the creek and head to the Saturday Farmers’ Market. Vendors sell quite a variety: farm fresh produce, pasture raised meat, flowers and plants, natural insecticide and homemade soap, and an inviting array of crafts.
And then… if I’m not too tired, I’ll head down the Greenway, which follows Hot Springs Creek all the way to Lake Hamilton, where one can rent a kayak and paddle out to the lake. It’s a four mile hike (but you can ride a bike on the Greenway), and I won’t get that far after working in the flowerbeds, but it’s one of the nicest walks in the spa city. That’s saying a lot because Hot Springs has dozens of hiking trails—more on that later!
