The-Press-Sentinel_392366

Wayne County Press Established 1960 • Jesup Sentinel Established 1865 • Combined February 1977 © 2020 Press-Sentinel Newspapers, Inc. Countr y Feed & Outdoors Your One Stop Shop for Hunting, Fishing, Gardening & Feed Supplies 912-559-6990 • 712 W. Cherry Street, Jesup, GA • Landscaping Materials • Hanging Baskets • Fertilizer • Farm Supplies • Garden Seeds • Potting Soil • Feed • Seed • Live Bait • Fishing Supplies • Rods and Reels • Hunting and Fishing Licenses • Ammunition • Hunting Supplies • Pet Food & Supplies • Check out our Facebook page @CountryFeedandOutdoors Tour of Elm Street back yard offers amazing variety of unusual trees By John Eden STAFF WRITER J.R. Gray’s back yard may be the most amazing horticultural collection in Wayne County. A tour of Gray’s yard is an astounding walk through a very large va- riety of unusual trees and other plants. “I grow things that are not supposed to grow around here!” Gray said with a big smile. One of the things he’s proudest of is a 30-year- old orange tree that he grew from seed. The tree is right at the corner of his back yard, and he said a lot of people stop by because they notice the tree. “I call it Papa Gray’s Sweet Orange,” he said. “I grew it from seed, so I get to name it!” He said the tree pro- duces oranges every year, and one year he harvested 1,250 oranges from it. Though he’s been grow- ing things for at least 30 years, he said he’s really been adding to his collec- tion since about 2012. He also has a tangerine tree and a Meyer lemon tree, and he’s started some mandarin oranges and two young satsuma orange trees. “Those are real popular now,” he said of the sat- suma. He described the care- ful way he prunes the cit- rus each year, and he noted that citrus bear fruit only on new growth. But this is just the be- ginning of the tour of the wonders that surround his back yard. There are at least 25 different vari- eties of trees there, in- cluding some that you won’t see anywhere else in the county—and some you probably never even heard of. He has four varieties of apples and two varieties of pear, so they ripen over a period of time and provide his family with a variety of the popular fruits. Gray said that with most trees, propagating them requires patience— and several years of work. “The first year, they sleep; the second year, they creep; and the third year, they take off!” he explained. Of course, he has a few peach trees, a grapefruit tree and a nectarine tree. Then there’s a persim- mon, a pineapple a guava and a starfruit. The star- fruit is just getting started, so he’s protect- ing it with a section of pool float. There’s a whole section of paw- paws in cans and a large ❑ See GRAY, Page 4C C SECTION Thursday, March 2 1 , 202 4 JOHN EDEN / Staff This is the flower of the dragon-fruit cactus. Almost 15 inches in diameter, it blooms overnight and lasts only one day. JOHN EDEN / Staff This red dragon-fruit cactus is one of the rare and amazing plants that J.R. Gray cultivates in his back yard on Elm Street. The cactus produces a large white flower and a fruit that is red inside. JOHN EDEN / Staff This large, mild lemon is one of J.R. Gray ʼ s most pop- ular items, as the fruit makes a tasty drink and is mild enough for use in fruit salads. Gray said it ʼ s a Meyer lemon. He also grows Lisbon and Eureka varieties.