All images are historic images of the Brown House as Anne Arundel County's Almshouse in the 1940s. Learn About the Almshouse We wanted to take this opportunity to share the history of our Almshouse with you. From 1823 until 1965, the tavern William Brown constructed in the 1760s served as Anne Arundel County’s Almshouse. The purpose of the Almshouse was to give shelter and work to the county’s poor. The funds to run the Almshouse came from taxes that were levied on the citizens of the county. This was a common method of attempting to take care of people who were poor or had mental illness. People who had nothing – no money, no home, and no one to support them – could petition the county to live in the Almshouse. The conditions that these residents endured were abysmal. Sanitation was lacking and supplies were limited. African American inhabitants were segregated from white residents and forced to live in a structure little better than a shack. Clothing was ragged, healthcare was limited, and food scarce. In 1906, a law limited the time children could be housed at the Almshouse to 90 days. In the 20thCentury, the almshouse became an institution that primarily housed the impoverished elderly population of Anne Arundel County. The decrepit conditions of the Almshouse were repeatedly brought up in commission reports, calling the institution “a disgrace.” The people who occupied the Almshouse were severely disadvantaged, and in their time of need, they were not cared for. Despite their access to a desperately needed social service, they were not protected. In this time of great uncertainty, we urge you to care for your community. Check on your neighbors, especially the elderly. Get them groceries if they can’t leave their homes. Walk their dogs. Care for those in your community who are struggling. Donate what you can, be it time, money, or goods. There are so many reputable institutions carrying on the work of caring for those in need. Below we’ve linked just a few who are carrying on the work of the Almshouse into the 21st Century. Anne Arundel County Government has created a resource page for COVID-19 information. This includes a donation page with a list of places where you can donate funds or goods to help the community as well as a volunteer page with information about how to help with your time. The Community Fund of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) has created a Community Crisis Response Fund. All funds raised will be used to meet the fast-emerging, immediate and long-term needs posed by the COVID-19 virus. The Anne Arundel County Food Bank is conducting a virtual food drive to fight hunger ensuring that all those in need have access to food, nutritional supplements and baby food. Grow the ReLeaf Fund Recently, London Town launched the ReLeaf Fund. This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town will grow again. Funds will be matched up to $35,000! Learn more and donate today! London Town: Today and Tomorrow Survey You may have noticed an increase in our online postings lately. Will you take a short survey about what posts and virtual programs you'd like? You can also share your thoughts about re-opening London Town and what sort of programs you'd like to see after the crisis is over. Take the survey here

Happy Mother's Day! Give her a virtual bouquet of blooming flowers from our gardens. It's a great way to continue #NationalPublicGardensWeek and bring a bit of #OurGardensYourHome!

Welcome back to another "A Sin and A Secret." Mix yourself a drink based on a colonial recipe and then curl with a completely true, completely salacious story. Enjoy a new #ASinAndASecret post every week. "Examples of tattoos depicted on Seamen's Protection Certificate Applications. Clerks writing the documents often sketched the tattoos as well as describing them." Dye, Ira, "The Tattoos of Early American Seafarers, 1796-1818," Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 133, No. 4 (Dec., 1989) "A Mermaid tattoo of 1808, from a preserved skin specimen." Dye, Ira, "The Tattoos of Early American Seafarers, 1796-1818," Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 133, No. 4 (Dec., 1989) The Tattooed Servant In February of 1747, indentured servant John Flack borrowed a horse to visit a nearby house and promptly disappeared. Richard Mount placed an advertisement in the Maryland Gazette for Flack's capture. Mount was an overseer at Mill Plantation, working for William Cumming, near Annapolis. Cumming was apparently friends with Flack's master, merchant William Thornton. Both men were members of the Tuesday Club in Annapolis (the same group co-founded by the "other" Alexander Hamilton in our Tavern Tales) Mount repeated placing the ad for several weeks, until March 17th. We don't know if the ads stopped because Flack had been captured or returned on his own. Only a few months passed before Flack was in trouble again. New advertisements appeared in the Maryland Gazette by William Thornton. Thornton penned a colorful description of his servant. Flack was scarred with gunpowder and afflicted with sores. His clothing was that of a sailor, matching the profession he claimed. Despite these unsightly marks, John Flack was described as “very artful, sly, smooth tongued Fellow [who] has his Story by Heart, is very much given to Drink, and when in Liquor, is very impudent.” Both of Flack's hands were tattooed, and “under his right Breast he has the Representation of Adam and Eve sitting under a Tree." It is quite possible (given surviving images of the time) that Adam and Eve were doing more than just “sitting.” Both of Flack's hands were tattooed, and “under his right Breast he has the Representation of Adam and Eve sitting under a Tree." It is quite possible (given surviving images of the time) that Adam and Eve were doing more than just “sitting.” "A tattoo of 'Adam and Eve and the Tree of Life,' early nineteenth century, from a preserved skin specimen." Dye, Ira, "The Tattoos of Early American Seafarers, 1796-1818," Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 133, No. 4 (Dec., 1989) In under a month, the advertisement disappeared from the Maryland Gazette. Flack had once again been returned to his servitude. For several years after, he is absent from the historical record. We do know that Flack’s servitude was purchased by William Bicknell in Annapolis by August 30, 1753. William Bicknell was a trained sailmaker. His experience came from training in the service of the Royal Navy. It was a fact that he proudly announced when he first appears in the historical record. In the late summer of 1749, the newly arrived Bicknell took out an advertisement in the Maryland Gazette offering his skills “for Ships or Other Vessels…at reasonable rates.” Initially he was living in Annapolis with a Mr. Williamson. It was John Flack’s skill as a sailmaker that made him so appealing to Bicknell. Bicknell even mentions Flack when advertising his services. By November 1753, Bicknell had branched out his services. He received a license to open a tavern out of his “dwelling house,” producing the not inconsiderable sum of £20 current money to cover it. By obtaining his license, he swore to prevent “idle loose or disorderly persons to tippel game or commit other disorders or irregularities.” Not only does this show that he had access to the money to license his tavern, but also that he was no longer living with Mr. Williamson and had acquired his own home. However, the good times for Bicknell were not to last. At the end of March 1754, John Flack (predictably enough) fled from his master in London Town. Again, an advertisement appears in the Maryland Gazette seeking the runaway servant. Interestingly, the advertisement uses many phrases word for word from the one placed seven years earlier by Thornton in 1747. For a full month this runaway advertisement was published in the Maryland Gazette. Eventually it was pushed out by other advertisements and news about the start of the French and Indian War. Whether he was captured or escaped, John Flack’s ultimate fate is unknown. Bicknell does not appear to have been hurt too much by the loss of labor. In November he again paid the £20 required to renew his tavern license. Perhaps he could have shouldered the extra burden of work and moved on, but 1755 was not a kind year to William Bicknell. Numerous court cases appear in 1755 with Bicknell as both plaintiff and defendant. The most prominent of these cases was brought against him by the London Town merchant Stephen West in June. West claimed an unpaid debt of £20 and eighteen shillings. Not only did West win the case, but Bicknell was ordered to pay damages as well as his debt. A second case from West was brought against Bicknell in November of 1755. This perhaps indicating that Bicknell had not paid the damages and debt, but the record is unclear on that point. The last record of Bicknell in the area is a 1757 court case brought against him by Thomas Gibbs, but his story does not end with litigation. What happened to William Bicknell? He reappears in 1764 aboard the Royal Navy warship Richmond. The Richmond was a 32-gun frigate that spent much of its time in American waters. While the Richmond anchored in London, Bicknell wrote his will. In it, he left two thirds of his property to his wife Ann in Annapolis. (This is the first time his wife is mentioned in the historical record.) Given that there were no children mentioned in the will, it may be safely assumed that the couple was childless. The remaining third of his estate was left to the executor of his will, a brother by the name of Andrew who was a weaver by trade residing in Yeovil in County Somerset, England. Any of Bicknell’s remaining possessions aboard the Richmond were bequeathed to the ship’s cook. Modern Cocktail: The Snakebite The Snakebite is perhaps one of the easiest drinks. The Snakebite originates in Britain. It shares a category with cocktails such as: The Black Velvet, The Boilermaker, and The Bee Sting. • 1 bottle of larger or stout • 1 bottle of hard cider 1. Fill glass halfway with chilled larger or stout. 2. Fill glass rest of the way with hard cider. 3. Enjoy! The Tattooed Servant Sources Maryland Gazette February 24, 1747, March 10 1747, August 18, 1747, June 14 1753; August 30, 1753; April 11 1754 page 3; Anne Arundel County Court Judgement Record, C91-21, November Court 1753, Folio 718; November Court 1754, Folio 44; C91-22, June Court 1755, Folio 174 & Folio 317; January Court 1755, Folio 173; June Court 1755, Folio 174; August Court 1755, Folios 267, 317; November Court 1755, Folio 356; Maryland State Archives “Will of William Bicknell, Master Sailmaker of His Majesty’s Ship Richmond,” UK National Archives, 22 June 1764, PRO 11/899/393. Dye, Ira, "The Tattoos of Early American Seafarers, 1796-1818," Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 133, No. 4 (Dec., 1989), pp. 520-554, American Philosophical Society Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/986875 Somerville, Wilson, The Tuesday Club of Annapolis (1745-1756) as Cultural Performance, University of Georgia Press: 1996, page 161. Select Drink Recipe Sources for the Series: Alderman, Clifford Lindsey, "Of Drinks & Drinkers," Early American Life, December 1975, pgs 87-88, 91 - 93 Bullock, Helen, The Williamsburg Art of Cookery or Accomplished Gentlewoman's Companion: Being a Collection of Upwards of Five Hundred of the Most Ancient and Approv'd Recipes in Virginia Cookery, Colonial Williamsburg and Dietz Press: Richmond, VA, 1938 Carr, Eve, "Home-Grown Treats," Mid-Atlantic Country, December, 1986 pgs. 34 - 35, 58 Gaspee Days Committee, www.gaspee.org/colonialrecipes.html Mackin, Jeanne, "Flowing Bowl," Americana, pgs. 39 - 41 Stief, Frederick Philip, Eat, Drink, & Be Merry in Maryland, Johns Hopkins Press: Baltimore, MD, 1932 Tilp, Frederick, "Tips on Tippling from Tidewater Maryland," Maryland Magazine, 1978, pgs. 14 - 17

It's National Public Gardens Week! Let's Celebrate Bees and Other Pollinators To celebrate National Public Gardens Week, we’d like to give some love to one of the most important group of organisms that are essential to our gardens: Pollinators! This group includes birds, bats, bees, and other insects such as beetles, butterflies, wasps, and dragonflies. These incredible creatures contribute to the survival of about 80% of all flowering plants and 35% of all food crops around the world. In turn, the plants produced through pollination take on even bigger ecosystem services such as biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and transpiration. The Amazing Bee Of those pollinators mentioned above, the Bee is the most productive due to their fuzzy bodies and their ability to buzz and shake pollen free from flowers. Maryland is home to over 400 different species of Bees alone! Most of Maryland’s bee species are not the honey bee or bumble bee we’ve come to know so well but are solitary bees. Solitary bees don’t build large, communal hives, but rather, a female solitary bee will build individual nests to lay their pupae. Make a Pollinator Hotel However, our native populations are decreasing due to climate change, over-use of pesticides, and decreased diversification of plants. You can help! There are several ways to help pollinators such as: build a pollinator hotel out of materials you might already have at home create a watering station to combat the summer heat build bat boxes or bird houses grow your own pollinator garden (we have several designs here)! Construction Tips for Building Your Bee or Pollinator Hotel Don't make your hotel too big as this can invite more pests and predators. Spread smaller hotels around your garden in recycled cans with paper straws! Make sure to protect your hotel from the rain by putting an over-hanging roof. Also, only have one side be open to the outside environment as pollinators don't like their "rooms' to be open from both sides. Place a wire mesh covering over the front of the hotel to protect your nesting pollinators from birds like woodpeckers. Make sure your hotel is stable so strong weather can't knock it over. Keep materials separated as different pollinators will use different nesting materials. You can also color code sections of your hotel to make it easier for the pollinators to locate their "rooms." Some materials we recommend are logs with small holes ranging from 1/8” to ½” in diameter into the end of each log, spacing them about ½” to ¾” apart. Holes larger than ¼” should be 5” to 6” deep, while holes ¼” or smaller should be 3” to 5” deep. You can also use paper straws, natural reeds, pine cones, gumballs, bark, broken terracotta pot pieces, and bricks. Exchange used materials with fresh ones every year after winter when your pollinators have hatched. Additional Information for the Care & Management of your Pollinator Hotels Winter cocoon care for more involved management https://www.bentonswcd.org/time-clean-mason-bee-cocoons/ More tips for hotel construction https://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/2017/12/09/bee-hotels/ Educational websites for pollination exploration https://xerces.org/ https://colinpurrington.com/2018/06/mason-bee-hotel/ Resources for Maryland Pollinator Species Identification https://beeinformed.org/2013/04/22/know-your-local-pollinators/ https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/habitat/wabees.aspx Download a PDF of the Construction Tips & Additional Information Resources

James Robert Barker and his family at Historic London Town and Gardens, before the start of the pandemic COVID-19 has brought waves of uncertainty throughout many communities. Historic London Town would like to take this time to record the voices of some in our community who have been deeply affected. In this series, we interviewed community members to gain their insight on how they have been affected by this global event. In today’s #CommunityConnection, we’re talking to James Robert Barker, United States Army Infantry Officer at the rank of Major, currently assigned as Troop Commander in Able Squadron, Asymmetric Warfare Group. What do you love about your job? I love being a part of teams that include individuals from a diverse ethnic, cultural, and ideological backgrounds that come together for a common purpose or goal. What is the biggest challenge of your job? Clear and concise communication across written, verbal, and virtual mediums in a way that maintains focus between senior leaders, peers, and subordinate elements. What is the hardest part of the COVID-19 situation? Transitioning completely to virtually based engagements with individuals and organizations that are geographically separated across North America, Europe, and the Indian Sub-Continent (usually referred to as the 'Middle East'). When this all ends what are you most looking forward to? Integrating some of the virtual systems we have learned into how we operate day to day, to provide individuals with more time at home with their families. I believe there are some valuable lessons learned in that regard we can leverage going forward. What can people do to help your community? Donate resources to those less privileged or in need. Looking for more information or ways to help? Anne Arundel County government has created a resource page for COVID-19 information. This includes a donation page with a list of places where you can donate funds or goods to help the community as well as a volunteer page with information about how to help with your time.

Let's Talk About Lavender! Lavender (Lavendula) would make a good synonym for aroma, fragrance and relaxation, considering how abundantly it is used for the therapeutic properties of its essential oils. Its documented history dates back over 2,000 years ago. Lavenders are extensively cultivated for its commercial use in many European countries as well in the U.S.A. There are around 39 species of Lavender. Let’s zoom into French/ Spanish Lavender: Lavendula stoechas, which has a deep fragrance and ruffled leaves. "Although it tolerates a range of situations, it is usually found in full sun in hot, sunny conditions with dry low-organic matter alkaline soil. Shear back lightly after summer bloom to encourage bushy growth and shorter flower stems. These plants do not like to be cut back to the ground and will often die after doing so." Source French Lavenders also comes with flower petals in white color 'Alba', but the most common one is the 'Anouk' variety with deep dark purple color. Lavenders are relatively easy to grow, if you give them the right conditions. They don’t need much at all to thrive. Full sun, high pH and, rocky conditions for excellent drainage, all most drought like conditions, so much that they won’t even mind being neglected. Do You Love Mint? What’s Mint (Mentha piperita) got to do with Lavender? The growth habits of Mentha and Lavendula are very different. They wouldn't pair well at all growing next to each other and certainly are not good habitat companions. But Mentha and Lavendula sure pair well in any drink! A fresh lemonade with crushed lavender flowers and mint, makes a refreshing summer drink and this agua fresca is therapeutic in its own way. Retail nurseries are nowadays selling mixed herb planters for making your own drinks. Many are good combinations. But make sure that when you buy these mixed herb planters, that they are compatible companions in the same habitats as well. More Lavender Pairings Boulders, rocks and sunshine are indeed excellent companions for any Lavender species. Add Himalayan rock salt and crushed Lavender leaves and flowers and, the compounds, such as eucalyptol, linalool and terpineol in Lavendula's essential oil will take it to another level. Currently, the rock berm at London Town is coming alive with bold Irises (left), Dianthus (middle) and Euphorbias (right), but Lavendula stoechas is doing its very best. It is a very rewarding early May bloomer.

A MESSAGE FROM ROD COFIELD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Every spring at London Town demonstrates the amazing power of nature. For the past 14 years, I’ve watched the gardens awaken from their winter slumber. Every day, I see something new blossoming. The trees have nearly filled with leaves now. Above me, osprey fly, and at my feet, turtles crawl. Although I see this cycle renew every year, it always takes my breath away. Things are different this year. The gardens continue to look majestic, but it’s just not the same wandering them alone. Since closing to the public on March 16, London Town has been remarkably quiet. School tours have been cancelled. Our spring plant sale has been postponed. So have many other programs and weddings. While this has meant a huge loss to our revenue, London Town will survive – but only with your help. Would you consider making a gift to the ReLeaf Fund? This newly created fund was inspired by the cycle of renewal in our gardens. Donations to it will ensure that London Town (a 501c3 non-profit organization, Tax ID 52-52-1396159) will grow again. Donate today! Make a Gift to the ReLeaf Fund And I’m pleased to share that your donation will be matched up to $35,000 – thanks to the generosity of London Town's board members. I know that not everyone can give right now, but if you can, your donation will make a difference – now more than ever. Your gift will: Keep staff employed Keep the gardens and historic area maintained Create new digital opportunities to engage together (such as the London Town from Anywhere blog and email series) Plan for re-opening as quickly as possible With your help, London Town will be here for you when this is over. Our site has welcomed all of you for the past 50 years. And I fully expect it to last another 50. Thank you for your support during this difficult time. Best, Rod Cofield Executive Director rodcofield@historiclondontown.org P.S. Did you know that as part of the CARES Act, you can claim an additional "above-the-line" deduction of up to $300 for donations made this year? Your donation to London Town counts! Donate today. Thank you!

Last March, London Town closed our physical doors to the public but expanded our digital doors wide. In our "London Town from Anywhere" initiative, you can access the best of London Town from your home (or anywhere else). Please help us improve this initiative by taking this short survey. Meanwhile, we're also gearing up to re-open as soon as possible. Please answer questions about what steps would make you comfortable and what sort of programming you'd like to see after things improve. Thank you for taking our survey! https://forms.gle/5XtrcRbrxa88Qv4JA

Making cherry bounce Normally we provide a story along with our colonial-inspired drink recipe, but for today’s #ASinAndASecret, we’re going to dive into the history of cherry bounce. Last July, the staff of Historic London Town and Gardens began making cherry bounce in our reconstructed colonial village. Cherry Bounce is a cordial with cherries (of course!), brandy, sugar, and spices. It was a popular drink during the colonial period. Look at all that sugar over those cherries! Why is the drink called a “Bounce”? Foodways historian Joyce White writes, “The drink known as bounce usually refers to a mixture of brandy and sweetened cherry juice. The earliest reference for Cherry Bounce dates to 1693 and is found in W. Robertson Phraseologia Generalis (new ed.) 369, where it is referred to as a ‘mingled [mixed] drink’ called ‘cherrybouncer.’” White believes the word “bounce” is a “colloquialism for cherry brandy.” She theorizes that it was renamed bounce as it might have been “sold without the required duty.” Stirring it up! Mount Vernon writes that cherry bounce was “among the few recipes known to have been used by the Washington family…” They go on to say, “It seems to have been such a favorite of General Washington’s that he packed a ‘Canteen’ of it, along with Madeira and port, for a trip west across the Allegheny Mountains in September 1784.” In fact, Martha Washington had her own recipe “to make excellent cherry bounce.” Her recipe is as follows: “Extract the juice of 20 pounds well ripen’d Morrella cherrys. Add to this 10 quarts of old French brandy and sweeten it with White sugar to your taste. To 5 gallons of this mixture add one ounce of spice such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmegs of each an Equal quantity slightly bruis’d and a pint and half of cherry kirnels that have been gently broken in a mortar. After the liquor has fermented let it stand close-topped for a month or six weeks then bottle it, remembering to put a lump of Loaf Sugar into each bottle.” - Martha Washington The recipe is from Martha Washington’s papers, date unknown. Original courtesy of Stewart P., Cameron B., and Brian H. McCaw. Looking good! Our version is similar to hers, although slightly more stripped down. We mixed (and a bit mashed) the cherries with sugar and then enough brandy to cover them. We kept the mixture in a cool, dark place for the past two months, although you can do it longer or shorter, and stirred it on occasion. Our Cherry Bounce Recipe: 2 pounds cherry Sugar Cheap brandy Large sealable jar Take 2 pounds of cherries, halve them, and take out the pits. Mash the cherries with a wooden spoon and sprinkle a liberal quantity of sugar over them to aid with the maceration of the cherries. Put the cherries and sugar mixture in a large sealable jar. Pour cheap brandy over them, use enough to cover all the cherries. Make sure cherries pressed against the side of the jar aren’t trapping any air in the mixture – stir it well before lightly tapping the jar on any surface to get rid of any remaining air. Store it in a cool dark place and give it a stir every few days. Wait at least 2 weeks (more is preferable – we waited 4) and decant the cherries. Pour the mixture through a strainer, ensuring that you capture all the liquid in a bowl. Store the brandied cherries in the freezer and enjoy on ice cream or in drinks. Pour the bowl of Cherry Bounce (the brandy cherry cordial) into a bottle and enjoy! In mid-September, we decanted the bounce. The cherries definitely have a kick! If you make cherry bounce, it’s recommended to enjoy small glasses of it at room temperature. Anything leftover can be stored in the refrigerator. Cherry Wine Recipe from Hannah Glasse’s The Art of Cookery https://archive.org/details/TheArtOfCookery Yum! Would you drink it? Try and tell us what you think! Email us at londontown@historiclondontown.org.

COVID 19 has brought waves of uncertainty throughout many communities. Historic London Town would like to take this time to record the voices of some in our community who have been deeply affected. In this series, we interviewed community members to gain their insight on how they have been affected by this global event. Attempting to understand health and healing was crucial to London Town’s history. One of our earliest residents in the surrounding area was Dr. Richard Hill (1698 – 1762). Dr. Hill was a surgeon, amateur botanist, and a merchant. You can learn more about his history here. In this light, for today’s #CommunityConnections interview, we talked with Jessica Anthony, a surgical ICU registered nurse. What do you love about your job? I love being able to care for the "sickest of the sick, " as we say. Every day I am learning something new about how the body works. In the process, I get to not only work with a great team of doctors and other healthcare providers, but I get to meet some extremely interesting patients and families from every walk of life. What is the biggest challenge of your job? The biggest challenge would have to be helping families understand the difference between quality and quantity of life. There is a lot we can do to keep someone alive but determining how far the person in question would want to go is hard when they can't speak for themselves. What is the hardest part of the COVID-19 situation? Our units are constantly in a state of flux with policy changes. We are preparing for a surge of admissions and are constantly adjusting to shortages and changes in bed flow. PPE conservation is also a struggle. When this all ends what are you most looking forward to? Being able to go out to eat and have a beer with my coworkers! And being able to see my mom. I live only 30 minutes away but haven't seen her in over a month... What can people do to help your community? Stay home!! Please stay home! It's uncomfortable, but the fewer people out and about means fewer admissions at the hospital, which means we will have the equipment and time to care for those who are sick. Please stop protesting the shutdown; it is there for a reason! Looking for more information or ways to help? Anne Arundel County government has created a resource page for COVID-19 information. This includes a donation page with a list of places where you can donate funds or goods to help the community as well as a volunteer page with information about how to help with your time.

Azaleas, Tree Peonies, Mellow Yellow, Deutzia, and Oaks Welcome May! Tree Peonies Currently, Peonies are the focal point of attraction at London Town. It is impossible to glance anywhere else, but at the luscious Tree Peony blooms of, red 'Higurashi', pink 'Nishki' and pinkish red 'Taiyo'. Coral Bell and Flame Azaleas Pink and mauve hues are also spread across the entire Azalea glade. Amongst the older varieties of Satsukis, Glen Dales and Kurume Azaleas, 'Coral bells' are most luscious. As rewarding as Azaleas are when they bloom, their initial planting step needs serious thought on location, incline and drainage. "Azaleas are not plant-them-and-forget-them kinds of plants." (Source) The other group of Azaleas that are in their best form are the flame Azaleas, Rhododendron calendulaceum. "This species is an important parent of many deciduous azalea. It's excellent for naturalistic landscape." (Source) Deutzias Another robustly blooming bush that also catches your eye at London Town is Deutzia gracilis. Deutzias prefer sun and are a rather rewarding bush with their robust blooms! Oak Trees But flowers aren’t the only distraction at London Town, the tallest canopy layers are filled with new lime green leaves of Oaks. They are a delight after seeing large branches bare all winter long. Spiraea The new lime green leaves of a Spiraea ‘Mellow Yellow’ are truly prettier than any flower in bloom. (More information) May Baskets May is here! Now hoping that all those April showers will bring us more May flowers. Attached today is also a picture of a flower basket I have made as an attempt to celebrate the 'May Baskets' tradition. My neighborhood garden club had a lovely idea of making May baskets and hanging them on doors as a 'pick me up' cheer during these tough times of COVID-19. For making a May Basket, you don't need to run to the florist as any flowers or greens will do in a container that can hold water. I have used Oasis to hold mine. Even paper flowers would work. Coral bells, Mellow Yellow, and white Deutzias fill up my basket of cheer. Here is to more May blooms and a tradition that dates back to the 19th and 20th century. Happy May!

Painting is by Cornelius Bega The Inn, https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.4114.html This week’s #Tavern Tales post continues with Sarah Kemble Knight’s journey. The excerpt below is from December 6, 1704 at a tavern in Norwalk, Connecticut. In this journal entry Ms. Knight talks about the furnishings in her room and how she has to share it with two men who are also traveling through town. “But arriving at my apartment found it to be a little Lento Chamber furnisht amongst other Rubbish with a High Bedd and a Low one, a Long Table, a Bench and a Bottomless chair,– being exceeding weary, down I laid my poor carcass (never more tired) and found my Covering as scanty as my Bed was hard. Annon I heard another Russelling noise in the, Room–called to know the matter–Little miss said shee was making a bed for the men; who, when they were in Bed, complained their leggs lay out of it by reason of its shortness–my poor bones complained bitterly not being used to such Lodgings, and so did the man who was with us; and poor I made but one Crone, which was from the time I went to bed to the time I Rise, which was about three in the morning….”