Springtime in the Midwest is such an anticipated season, after snow cover and sleeping flower beds paint a monotone landscape. A profusion of sunnny daffodils on the southeast hill belonging to Morrison Community Hospital, 303 N. Jackson Street, Morrison, IL, made passersby smile in April 2017. Now, in June, the hill is bursting with golden Stella de Oro day lilies. They are due to years of effort and generosity by Karen Ritchie, who contributed her own perennials to beautify the hillside.
A variety of shrubs, flowers, and ground covers combine to make a naturalized display of color and texture: barberry, daffodil, day lily, variegated hosta, iris, juniper, lamium, spirea, tulip, and yew–to name a few.
MCH Maintenance Director Todd Workman reported, “She planted them.” Workman and his crew, Randy Foster, Scott Haring, and Vern Vanderlaan, help weed the area. “Before, it was a jungle.” His men cut down trees and mulched.
“The State has been no help. Most all of the plants were [Karen’s], that she split up and planted here,” Workman said.
Ritchie retired from Morrison Community Hospital “three or four years ago,” according to Workman, and lives in Albany, IL. She served as Lab Director and Infection Control Director over her tenure, stated Mick Welding.
She left a living legacy for all to enjoy.
