About Marvis Fryer
I first met Marvis Fryer and his wife, Angela at a flea market. They were selling some plants that they had grown, such as perennial hibiscus and Stella De Oro daylilies. It was the daylilies that caught my eye. My husband and I started a conversation with them and I asked if I could interview them.They agreed, but I didn't get to go until this last week.
When I finally got to his place in September, it looked like a well-kept gardener's delight.There were spacious plantings everywhere.
Marvis has a B.S. degree in agriculture. He worked for the University of Tennessee for 30 years. He worked in plant research and enjoyed his job. He says he recognized when it was time to "retire." After looking at all the work he has done in his yard, I don't think "retired" is the word for him. This wiry and compact man has projects for the next 10 years! His wife, Angela, has a doctorate in education, but had to retire due to a shoulder injury. She helps him as much as she can.
The front walk is a delight with many flowering plants and some rather special boxwoods that were provided by his mother. They are beautiful specimens. Next, we started up the path by the road where he planted Cedars as a screen. He is under planting them with Nadinas. There are several new beds with Hostas, Mints, Azaleas, and others. As we continued down the nicely mulched path, I saw several beautiful signs on rocks that proclaimed his devout faith in God.
To be honest, I've never met a hybridizer who was an atheist. There is something about working with god's creations that inspires a reverential awe. When we got to the bottom of the path, I could not believe my eyes. Evidence of his creativity and handiwork was everywhere.
Surprising Inventions
Now, Mr. Fryer is a spry man, but cement blocks are very heavy. He has been "retired" almost ten years. He built his planters about 5 blocks high. He says that this height is just right for weeding without bending over. Around one planter, he leaves the top of the blocks open and pours in soil. Impatiens are planted all around one planter. He fills the center with a soil and compost mixture. He plants all kinds of material in the center - from daylily seedlings to the double red Roses of Sharon. On the outside of this unit, he plastered it and painted it with cement paint. He says the other kind of paint just doesn't hold up.
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