Book: Wintersville Citizen

              VOL. 1, NO. 42.                                       THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1963-TEN PAGES                                $5.00 per year 10<


FLOYD BAUMAN


.m   .


GARDENER, EXTRAORDINARY!


By EVE SEITER


As summer wanes most of
us wistfully contemplate' the
beauty and the bounty of our
gardens. Soon--all too soon,
now--the insects will still
their autumnal serenade, the
first frost will blight the bla-
zing color of our cherished
blooms and we, perforce,
will accept it. Till then we
will take special pleasure in
our garden spots.
  Floyd Bauman is particular-
  ly conscious of the .changing
  seasons this Fall. The pat-
tern of change effects not
only his garden but his life!
His   attitude  toward this
change reflects the confi-
dence of one who has long
witnessed the unfolding of a
Divine providence in nature.
You see, Floyd Bauman, gar-
dener extraordinary', retires
in December. When he puts
the wayside garden in the
grounds of the First National
Bank in Wintersville to bed
this Fall it will be for the
final- time.
  Strangely  enough   Floyd
  Bauman did not know one
  flower from another a few
  years ago. He spent the
  earlier years of his life work-
  ing in a Mill. When the win-
  tersville Branch of the First
  National Bank opened its
  doors he came to serve as
  their caretaker though he did
  such extra jobs as making
check-books, using a ma-
chine designed for the pur-
pose! When the bank decided
to raze a large, old house on
the rear of the property it
was decided to beautify the
cleared area. By sheer acci-
dent Floyd Bauman, thus
became a budding gardener.
He knew about fruit trees
but he knew      nothing of
flowers.
  He quickly became a bit of
  a horsetrader-trading a start
  of this for a start of that!
  One gorgeous red dahlia blo-
  oming in his elaborate gar-
  den was acquired in exchange
  when a friend desired a
  clump of a pale orchid vari-
ety Mr. Bauman had discov-
ered. He subscribed to Gar-
den magazines and built a


small green-house on his own
five acre tract at home. He
talked with Jack and Gary
Kreci and in the very begin-
ning bought many plants from
them.
  The small First National
Bank garden grew by "trial
and error" according to the
versatile Floyd Bauman.


  But catalogues "just got
too interesting" and the first
thing he knew Mr. Bauman
was propagating plants, sdw-
ing seeds in flats and bring-
ing them to the garden to set
out when the temperatures
were right. This year every
beautiful bloom in the garden
sprang from   an orginally
aaved seed, cultivated bulb
or propagated plant of Floyd
Bauman's.
  The First National Bank
garden encloses the Bank
building but the full expanse
of color spreads across the
rear of the property where
you may drive in, park your
car, transact your business
and view the beauty of the
garden. Borders of petunias,
red and white salvia, port-
u-laca, sweet alyssum and
dwarf ageratum frame beds of
annuals and perennials. Tall
Castor beans flaunt their
broadleafed foilage among
permanent shrubs, their great
poisonous seed pods formed
but not ripe. Tomato plants,
set out for the pleasure of the
bank employees, thrive near
by, Mums, astors, double
daisies, zinnias, glads, old
fashioned spider plants and
jewell like celosia bloom
profusely in Floyd Bauman's
garden.
  Mr. Bauman retires official-
ly in December. Questioned
concerning his plans this
avid gardener thought he
"Cmight raise a little bit of
evervthing" on his five acre
plot at 963 Buena Vista Blvd.
Mrs. Bauman is not physic-
ally able to help but she
does enjoy looking at the
beautiful blooms and contin-
ually encourages her husband
in his avocation. He just
might be persuaded to garden
professionally, too, up to the
point that his Social Security
permits.
  This writer is convinced
  that Floyd Bauman will find
  the same riches in retirement
  that he has found in life--
  working, creating and explor-
  ing new channels of interest.


� per copy