It's a glorious spring at Rainbow Springs State Park this year, and the thousands of blooming azaleas are more beautiful than ever - thanks to the efforts of volunteer gardener Lis Robson.
Lis and Don Robson moved to Rainbow Springs in 1990 from Canada. Interested in gardening, they joined a group of garden club volunteers who dedicated themselves to restoring the gardens of nearby Rainbow Springs Park. At the time, the old tourist attraction had been closed for almost 30 years and was completely wild and overgrown. The group went on to become the Friends of Rainbow Springs State Park.
The volunteers decided to each adopt a specific place to work. Don and Lis volunteered to uncover an ornamental fishpond at the park's entrance. They had no idea what was under there, but spent months battling mosquitoes and bugs while hacking away at the dense underbrush. They hauled away buckets of gunk and debris, and discovered not one, but two large pools, little fountains and a waterfall.
Lis' next project was a monumental one - to prune the 40-year old azaleas. "I set a goal and started pruning," she said matter-of-factly. "It's been documented that over 50,000 azaleas were initially planted here. I think I've cut about 40,000 of them." At the beginning, she worked alone - five days a week, five hours a day. She methodically pruned her way down both sides of the 500-foot entrance path, then along the divided road to the main entrance at U.S. 41 - more than a mile. "The park ranger and I set a plan," she remembers, "every second azalea was cut to the ground. Then two years later, I came back and cut the alternate ones. Now they only need to be pruned periodically, they'll never have to be cut that drastically again."
Robson is a retired interior designer and an artist. She's also a Master Gardener who contributes countless hours to the educational program. Lis said she has no idea how many hours she's labored in the Rainbow Springs gardens, even though she received a pin for "4,000 volunteer hours" five years ago. "I don't keep track anymore," she said, "because I'm always over here."