University Marketing and Communications

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Eastern Illinois University

Eastern Illinois University The Keep 1988 Press Releases 6-28-1988 06/28/1988 - Whiteside Active in Retirement University Marketing and Communications Follow this and additional works at: https://thekeep.eiu.edu/press_releases_1988 Recommended Citation University Marketing and Communications, "06/28/1988 - Whiteside Active in Retirement" (1988). 1988. 340. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/press_releases_1988/340 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Press Releases at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in 1988 by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact tabruns@eiu.edu. EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY Charleston, Illinois ART TATE, Assistant Director, UniversLty Relations Office: (217) 581-5981 - Home: (217) 348-7553 b"!-1 """"'.·""""'' ~b~ //88-267 June 28, 1988 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: WHITESIDE ACTIVE IN RETIREMENT CHARLESTON, IL.-- Retirement for Dr. Wesley Whiteside, a professor of Botany at Eastern Illinois University for 27 years, has meant one thing: WORK! He retired from teaching in December of 1987 and hasn't slowed down since. In fact, according to Whiteside, he hasn't had his television set on for over a year. Even in the wintertime, he spends a good deal of time outdoors. "If we have a normal winter," he says, "there is plenty that you can do outside." -more-ADD 1/1/1/1 WHITESIDE Planted on his five acres just outside of Charleston are several flowers and shrubs that bloom in the wintertime, giving life and color to otherwise barren landscape. "I have snow drops, which bloom after mid January to mid March and produce about a half-inch white flower," he explains. He also grows a yellow flower, winter Aconite, which blossoms from mid February to mid March and Witchhazel, a shrub which also blossoms at that time. Although Whiteside prefers growing more unusual plants to gardening, he does enjoy caring for his apple and peach trees, and his grape vines and strawberry beds. His flora uncommon to the midwest include American and Asiatic Stewartia, a shrub in the tea family, and Franklinia, a plant native to Georgia which was named for Benjamin Franklin. He also grows pitcher plants, which trap insects in their hollow leaves, causing them to drowned. Many people around our mosquito and fly infested midwest would probably love to grow this plant if it weren't for the special care it requires. To accomodate these bogg plants, Whiteside plugged old-fashioned tubs with concrete, put peat moss in them and buried them underground. Besides landscaping his own property, the botanist has been busy aiding the community in several landscaping endeavors. He planted around the Greenwood School, leaving the care of his flora in the capable hands of Dr. James Giffin. In addition, Whiteside landscaped around the Dudley house after it was deeded to the Historical Society. According to the former professor, "It's nothing fancy, but it's better than the jungle it was." -more-ADD 2/2/2/2 WHITESIDE He also helped with the the fifth annual "Volkswalk" at Fox Ridge State Park by guiding groups of all ages on walks through the park, pointing out the variety of plant life along the way. With all of the activities that Whiteside has been and is involved in, he will have to go back to work to rest! -30-

06/28/1988 - Whiteside Active in Retirement

https://thekeep.eiu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1339&amp;context=press_releases_1988

06/28/1988 - Whiteside Active in Retirement

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Eastern Illinois University