GETAWAY

-with the girls-

TEXT AND PHOTOS

COURTESY OF VISIT CORINTH

It’s no secret that a trip with friends is a recipe for memories that last a lifetime. The challenge, then, comes in deciding where to go and what to do.

Keeping things fairly local has become a necessity as of late. Where can you go on a tank of gas and stay as safe as possible? And what would you do?

Well, maybe…

Mani-pedis for the gals, brunch on a breathtaking rooftop patio with mimosas and sparkling wine, or maybe enjoy a meal prepared by a private chef? Kick back in a beautiful home set up especially for you after you attend a personalized painting class. Top it off with shopping in one-of-akind boutiques, strolls around a picturesque downtown, and tons of selfie-friendly locales to ensure your social media lets everyone know how much fun you’re having!

Corinth has all of this and more. Tucked away in the northeast corner of Mississippi you’ll have the trip of a lifetime for you and your squad of friends.

Start off with booking your stay at The Cottage, a cozy bungalow in the heart of downtown Corinth, or right next door at the Sanctuary, a renovated Episcopal church built in the 1800s appointed with unique antiques, a loft bedroom, and a great room perfect for late- night coffee and chats. For larger groups, the Carriage House is a newly refurbished vacation rental with every amenity and spectacular decor. All these options are located within walking distance of downtown shopping and dining, all locally owned and operated.

Once you’ve booked your lodging, make some plans for fun! If you’re in Corinth on a weekday, your first stop should definitely be Abe’s Grill, the oldest diner on Highway 72. Take a seat at the bar and the Whitfield family will serve you their legendary biscuits, tenderloin and whatever else you can imagine.

If a day of pampering is on your radar, Rossi’s Relaxstation should be your destination. It’s located in Corinth’s scenic Soco District, along with boutiques, a coffee shop and a bakery. Schedule a session for your group to be beautified from head to toe, then stop in at the interesting variety of shops down Wick Street.

To enhance your afternoon of shopping in downtown’s leisure district, pick up a cocktail and take it with you as you browse the streets. smith. restaurant offers specialty beverages you won’t find anywhere else; try the Fillmore Feel Good! The self-guided 60 Sights in 60 Minutes walking tour is a perfect opportunity to sip and stroll while taking in the city’s sights.

For a snack, be sure to stop in and visit Mississippi’s oldest drugstore, Borroum’s. The long counter with stools and the old-fashioned soda fountain will take care of any sweet cravings you have, and the view of Corinth’s 100-year-old courthouse will provide an ideal backdrop for photos. While you’re there, be sure to order a slugburger—the sandwich that put this city on the map.

Shopping in Corinth isn’t complete without a visit to Sanctuary, where antiques and art greet you. Make sure you set aside time for browsing, because everyone in your party will find plenty to love (and take home)!

The evenings are full of possibilities for you and your group: schedule a private class, have a catered dinner prepared just for you, or visit any of Corinth’s downtown hotspots for unparalleled dining.

If a personalized class for your group sounds like fun, you’ll have options. Elizabeth Spencer Designs, a motherdaughter team of artists and interior designers, offers floral arranging and painting classes by appointment; Southern Magnolia, housed in the historic Biggers’ Hardware building, offers charcuterie, painting and crafting workshops (with wine!); and designer/retailer Kates & Co offers painting and floral sessions. All of these can be specialized to your group, so with a little planning, your trip will truly be a memorable one.

Corinth’s locally owned restaurants will all be eager to help you find the best dining experience possible, and in the downtown area there is plenty to choose from.

Pizza Grocery is a renovated warehouse on the edge of downtown, and its menu includes everything you might expect, plus so much more. Pizza, pasta, calzones, salads, steaks, weekend specials…you’ll be sure to find something to please everyone. Upstairs is the Pizza Grocery coffee bar, the perfect spot for an after-dinner tiramisu or bread pudding.

STYLING & STORY GINNI JONES

Just down Cruise Street you’ll find Vicari Italian Grill, where the whole group will find spectacular and lavish dishes, drinks and desserts. Despite the name, the list of entrees includes steaks, lamb and an array of specials. Up the staircase is a full bar, complete with couches just right for conversation.

If your group is feeling a bit more casual, V Taco offers customizable rice bowls, street tacos, cocktails and a breezy screened rooftop porch. Most weekends find this area filled with live music or karaoke.

Overlooking the most-traveled corner in downtown is Corinth’s newest restaurant, Conservatory by Vicari. An open-air patio provides al fresco dining you’ll never forget. If eating outdoors isn’t your thing but the view is, the glassed-in dining area gives you all the view with none of the outside. Conservatory’s wine bar and gelato are its culinary prides, but the brunch/lunch and generous appetizer menu will leave you speechless.

Housed in a historic former bank across from the photo-ready “Welcome to Corinth” mural on Fillmore Street waits smith. restaurant, famous for the “secondbest” steaks in town (ask them where to find the best ones!). Their menu features “fine dining made casual,” and from appetizers to dessert, you will be certain to find the dining experience you crave.

Downtown Corinth has a variety of other eateries specializing in everything from authentic Thai to historic tamales. There’s something to please every palate, and all local restaurants offer takeout as well, if your group would prefer to hang out in the comforts of home. Pending availability, several private chefs in town would be happy to cook just for you!

Whatever amenities you take advantage of during your Corinth getaway, you’ll find the perfect mix of leisure and uniqueness.

hydrangeas

STORY DALE SKAGGS, DIRECTOR OF HORTICULTICULTURE, DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

After the spring riot of color with azaleas, dogwoods, bulbs and spring-flowering shrubs at the Dixon, we are always looking for plants to extend our blooming season and provide summer flowers that are showy. In June, the hydrangeas take center stage for a colorful show.

Everyone loves hydrangeas. Many people associate them with their grandmothers’ gardens, so they evoke pleasant childhood memories. Although several types of hydrangeas are available, including H. quercifolia, H. arborescens, and H. paniculata, all with their own special attributes, the one most often associated with the name “hydrangea” is the largeflowered, big leaf hydrangea, Hydrangea macrophylla. These are sometimes called mopheads or French hydrangeas.

Florists sell them, and they are especially popular as a potted-plant gift on Mother’s Day. Although these gift plants can be planted in the landscape, they don’t always perform well because they are usually selected for forcing and greenhouse culture, not necessarily the best for a garden.

In my opinion there is no better color in the garden than an iridescent blue hydrangea, but if you like pink, you can change the color on most of the big-leaf hydrangeas. These plants react to the alkalinity or acidity in the soil by changing the color of the blooms, so by adding lime you can change your flowers to pink. Our native soils are slightly acidic, so we usually get some shade of blue on most flowers here. Iron sulfate or aluminum sulfate can be added to intensify the color of the blooms to even deeper and truer blues. It is best to make these adjustments early in the season before the flowers begin to emerge. These plants thrive with adequate moisture and morning sun. They require sun to flower but perform better in the Mid South with afternoon shade.

Acommon question I’m asked about these plants is, “Why is my hydrangea not flowering?” There are generally two main reasons: late freezes and especially cold winters zap the flower buds, which are set the previous summer. This characteristic is referred to as "flowering on old wood,” which relates to the second typical reason for failure to flower, pruning at the wrong time of the year. If you need to prune hydrangeas, you have a narrow window; cut them back after they flower but before the first of August. If a Hydrangea macrophylla is pruned between the fall and the following summer, it removes the buds which provide flowers along with the seemingly dead branches.

About ten or so years ago Dr. Michael Dirr, professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia, was visiting a nursery in Minnesota when he saw a hydrangea loaded with blooms despite a cold winter having killed it back to the ground. This discovery has created a whole new wave of interest in hydrangeas and has precipitated perhaps the best thing to happen to the classic big-leaf hydrangeas—the introduction of re-blooming types that flower on new wood. These plants are not as fastidious about pruning times and even following the coldest winters will produce flowers. These re-blooming types are technically called remontant.

‘Endless Summer’ was the first widely marketed re-blooming type, and several others have since been introduced on the market. At the Dixon we have been impressed with ‘Dooley’ as a dependable bloomer with large flowers in pink or blue. Unlike the more common mophead flowers, ‘Twist ‘n Shout’ has flat-topped, lacecap blooms which remind me of a pinwheel when viewed from above. ‘Blushing Bride’ is a white-flowered plant that fades to pink and is not susceptible to color change based on soil type.