2388. Magnificent rhododendrons and azaleas

It would be foolish to suggest that Curtis had done it all his life. He hadn’t done it all his life, but began developing his specialized rhododendron garden park in his early thirties. He had won a heap of money in the lottery and thought, “Why do I need to work? Why not spend my time doing what I love to do?” So that is what he did; he bought land and developed a magnificent rhododendron garden.

My goodness me! In the flowering season how visitors flocked to his park! It was wonderful. Entry was free. Every year saw an extension or an addition of some sort. In fact he had branched out a little and devoted a large area to azaleas.

It was a very sad day when Curtis died. As the newspaper obituary stated: “He died doing what he most loved – caring for the flowering rhododendrons and azaleas in his magnificent garden.” Fortunately he had stated clearly in his will that the Town Council would have control of his property provided it remained as a park. A huge sum of money was left for the park’s maintenance. The Council was quick to act; almost overnight the property was turned into a car park.