THEY CALL ME OTIS
.
We’re having a disagreement… my wife and I.
I’ve been calling him Otis. She’s not too keen on that name, but so far, we haven’t come up with anything different, so, for now...
He’s still Otis.
Or maybe, she’s still Otis. That’s a distinct possibility, too.
Confused?
I’m talking about our latest family addition... a gift of sourdough starter.
It was given to us by a friend, and since receiving it, we have been faithfully tending to it, feeding it when needed, discarding the surplus, and best of all, using it to bake amazing bread.
Now, in all honesty, everything hasn’t turned out amazing. Some loaves have been a little flat, and some have been a little dense, but all have had great flavor and all have been happily enjoyed.
There’s just something special about home-baked bread. It’s like home-grown produce. It just tastes better. Knowing you made it with your own hands, in your own kitchen, with only a few simple ingredients...it’s like magic.
Like I said, there’s just something special about home-baked bread.
I used to bake a lot of bread when I was younger. So, this journey into sourdough baking wasn’t a complete fresh start for me. But it has been a lot different. For one thing, the dough’s a lot wetter. Wet dough is sticky dough, and learning how to handle sticky dough has been a challenge.
It’s been a learning curve.
Here’s another one. From start to finish, baking a loaf of sourdough bread is a much longer process than I was used to. With yeast breads, I could go from mixing the dough to enjoying bread fresh out of the oven in 3-4 hours. But with sourdough, the process is more like 3-4 days.
That’s been another learning curve too.
In an effort to get better, I’ve read a lot of articles, watched hours of YouTube videos, and then tried to apply what I have learned.
I’ve struggled at times. I’ve gotten frustrated and I’ve had some disappointments, but overall, I’ve also gotten better. I’ve gained a lot of confidence, and most of the time, we’ve ended up with a pretty decent loaf of fresh homemade sourdough bread to enjoy.
Not a bad reward.
Gardening is a lot like this, too.
Learning how to grow veggies, caring for a lawn, planning out, and then planting a landscape, all have their own learning curves. Crops fail to produce, weeds take over the lawn, plants grow too big, combinations don’t work out like you planned, things fail to thrive, and unfortunately, sometimes things just die.
But hopefully, more often than not, things turn out well.
You are blessed with an abundant harvest, the lawn is a source of pride, plants grow to just the right size, combinations turn out amazing, things do thrive, and best of all...they don’t die!
That’s the gardening equivalent of enjoying a loaf of fresh homemade sourdough bread.
Just like with my baking journey, there’s a learning curve with gardening too. Read everything you can, watch a lot of YouTube videos, put what you’ve learned into practice...
...and don’t be afraid to screw up.
We all can learn a lot from our successes, but often, we can learn even more from failures.
I’ve always said, if you aren’t killing plants, you aren’t gardening!
Cameron Rees, General Manager
Hopefully, over time, you’ll find gardening successes outweighing your gardening failures. And don’t think...even for a second...we all don’t have gardening failures from time to time. Trust me, I still do, and I’ve been at this a long time!
It’s just part of the gardening experience.
The season is moving right along. Our new greenhouse is completely filled for the first time this spring. It’s exciting to see! Out on the sales lot, things have come together, too. We now have plants everywhere!
Come by and check things out when you have a chance, and make sure you talk to us. Let us be a resource for you...for ideas, for recommendations, and for all kinds of gardening tips. We’ve got a great group of folks here who love to talk gardening.
We can help you through that learning curve.
And if you need any sourdough tips, Otis and I will do what we can!
—Cameron
WHAT’S NEW?… TOMATOES, PEPPERS, & MORE!
The cooler temps have been hanging around like an irritating rash, but it looks like we are starting to see some warmer days, which gets avid gardeners in the mood to plant!
Although it’s a little early yet, some of you just can’t wait! For you folks, we have a large selection of tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, and more.
I want you to still be cautious when planting, but if you must, and temps get in the 30s, cover those plants up! Ground temperatures are warming up nicely, so that will help!
—Misty Brown
IT GLOWS IN THE DARK!
A new petunia is on the market and it’s all a “buzz”!
Firefly Petunias have been introduced, and they are WILD!! It is a genetically engineered petunia that glows in the dark!
Keith Wood, chief executive and co-founder of Light Bio, has been working on bioluminescent plants since the 1980s. Bioluminescence is made from living energy from a mushroom.
As the plant’s energy works with its surrounding environment, the glow may change from one day to the next. The white petunias by day magically transform when light is depleted at night into a glowing sensation.
I feel this is a trend that we continue to see grow. Get your Firefly today!
—Misty Brown
lET’S CELEBRATE! … WITH A SALE
In honor of Earth Day and Arbor Day, we’re putting ALL trees on sale at 15% OFF now through April 27th. Take advantage of this markdown to do some spring planting that will continue to pay off for years to come. Imagine the beautiful possibilities with flowering or ornamental trees, or pick up some fast-growing trees that can help with wind, shade, or privacy. Our nursery experts are on hand to help you pick the right tree for your needs.
HOLIDAY hours
We hope you have a lovely Easter.
more EVENTS, SALES & ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Keep an eye on this section in the future for all the important info and extras you won’t want to miss!
