Orchard country

 The trip to Albany took us into a part of Georgia we hadn’t seen. It’s orchard country.

People know about Georgia peaches, but there are as many pecans as peaches. The orchards tend to alternate — perhaps 20 acres of pecans and then 30 acres of peaches.

A few varieties of peaches were blooming. Most were not. I was surprised that in some orchards the trees had been heavily pruned — almost espaliers. When I asked a native, she patiently explained that sunlight is vital to a ripe peach, so the trees are shaped to let in light.

The native was Sally, who runs Grandeur Farm Retreat, a bed and breakfast in Marshallville. Sally’s farm was set up to raise horses — surrey racers. Grandeur was an early winner. The breakfast was superb, and so was the conversation with Sally and her other guests. The couple we talked to visit repeatedly. The “retreat” in the name is more fact than marketing.

Marshallville doesn’t have enough traffic to have a stoplight. But it does have Massee Lane Gardens, with a collection of a thousand varieties of camellias. It was lovely in early spring, loud with the voices of birds and children.