Written by Alex | March 19, 2009 | 2009 NewslettersNewsletter Tags: flowers, Gardening, jokes, recipies, stories
2009 Newsletter Archive
Newsletter 3
Newsletter 3 March 19, 2009
Events Recipe Seeds for Spring
May the best day of your past, be the worst day of your future.
Spring, Sprang, Sprung
The calendar, along with the warm temperatures of the past few days, has created quite a buzz around the greenhouse. Many of you have called to chat, or stopped out to browse. We are so delighted to hear from you. The long months of winter, without the camaraderie of our gardening friends, are at last gone. And with their departure, we can celebrate the good days to come. And I truly believe that there will be many, many good days to come. In preparation for all the fun ahead, everyone at Americas Best is busy planting and tending the small plants that will soon fill your landscapes. Even though our official opening day is April 1, we are always happy to see you. If you have Spring Fever, there is no better cure than to see absolute proof that spring is here. Come on out today and see with your own eyes the thousands of growing plants that fill our greenhouses. While youre here, we will be glad to help you in any way we can. Even though we arent completely organized, we are always happy to answer questions, or help you find something you might need right now. Come on out today. Youll be glad you did. When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets.
My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross and worms to play with! Joke 1
Nothing says optimism like the lowly garden seed. Who would think that a tiny dried up piece of organic matter, when placed in moist soil, could possibly become anything more than a wet piece of organic matter? Even though gardeners witness this miracle every year, it remains one of the most amazing wonders in nature. If you, too, want to be amazed, we invite you to stop out drive right by the closed sign and pick up a few packages of seeds and the supplies you need to get started. Growing plants from seed has got to be one of the most rewarding experiences in gardening, and now is the time to begin. A smile is a curve that can set a lot of things straight.jjoke 2 Before you Tread in your Garden
As reported in the March 18, 2009 issue of the Wisconsin State Journal, the soils of southern Wisconsin are saturated. Twenty inches below the surface there is a 4 to 6 inch layer of frozen ground which prevents surface water from draining. In this situation, water fills the air spaces in the soil, preventing it from breathing. The problem is compounded when pressure is applied to the surface. Youve all witnessed this when a vehicle was driven over a lawn in the early spring and left ruts. When we walk in the garden, a similar thing happens. Our weight compacts the soggy soil around the roots of our plants, leaving less space for air after the soil dries up. So, even though its sunny and warm, and theres nothing you would rather do than spend a day outside in your gardens, our advice is to wait a bit. A few more warm days will do a lot to improve the situation. For tips from Ilene, our perennial manager, on what you can do outside right now, see below. An optimist is a person who starts taking a bath if he accidentally falls into a river.joke 3
TIDY UP!
By Ilene Isenberg, Perennial, Tree & Shrub Manager
If youve left tall grasses or flower stalks standing for winter interest, youll want to trim them before the new growth begins. Prune away dead or broken branches from trees and shrubs. Wait to prune flowering shrubs until after they bloom or youll cut off this years flowers. Pull up or dig out those dandelions and other perennial weeds that have already made an appearance, if you can reach them from the edges of your beds. If you take an extra moment to make sure you get most of the root, you wont be fighting the same weeds later. The sooner you fall behind, the more time youll have to catch up .joke 4
April 1 Opening Day April 4 -5 Sneak Peek Weekend Take a look at the new seasons offerings and pickup a lovely blooming plant for your Easter table. April 11 Community Egg Hunt 10 AM Join the Easter Bunny and our staff for this Sweet event! Rain or Shine! – Children 6 and under, please April 18-19 Open House – FREE hot dogs and popcorn 11-3 for our Loyalty Members. April 25 Earth Day Celebration FREE CHILDRENS ACTIVITIES 10-2 PM. Bring a white T-shirt to paint, make seed balls and more! April 24-26 Arbor Day – Receive a FREE Black Hills Spruce with purchase. While supplies last. Limit 1 per family. Watch for days of other spring events, including Container Workshops. The first Saturday in May is our annual SALSA SATURDAY, when we celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Latin music, free samples of chips and salsa, and you can even plant a salsa container that weekend at our workshop. We will give away a $50 gift certificate for the best salsa in our Salsa Recipe Contest. Special Mothers Day activities and free classes on vegetable and perennial gardening will continue throughout the season, along with our Make and Take Workshops. We also promise many exciting surprises. Our goal is to hold events that are interesting and helpful to our customers. Remember to give us your input. Were listening!
Experience is something you dont get until just after you need it. joke 5
Now that spring has sprung, its time to enjoy springtime favorites, and what better way than a delicious gourmet meal prepared on the grill. Slice up some potato wedges, throw in a plastic Ziploc bag with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper to coat, and grill with the lamb chops and asparagus. It doesnt get better than this! Grilled Lamb Chops
Recipe form Gloria De Laurentis Serves 6 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 T fresh rosemary leaves
1 T fresh thyme leaves
pinch cayenne pepper
Coarse sea salt
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
6 lamb chops, about ¾ thick
In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, cayenne and salt. Pour in olive oil and pulse into a paste. Rub the paste on both sides of the chops and let them marinate at least 1 hr in the refrigerator. Remove from fridge and allow chops to come to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
*Heat the grill to high and sear 2 minutes on first side, 3 on the next. For medium rare and 3 ½ minutes for medium.
This recipe originally called for the chops to be grilled on an indoor grill pan, but I do mine on my gas grill. Grilled Asparagus with Tangerine Mayonnaise
Food TV 2007 2 cups freshly squeezed tangerine juice
2 tangerines
1 T coarsely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 egg yolk
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 c extra virgin olive oil, plus more for tossing and brushing on asparagus
2 large bunches asparagus, about 2 pounds total, trimmed and cooked 2 minutes in boiling salted water, then cooled
Long curls of tangerine zest
Coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts or pine nuts, optional (I use pecans)
Put the tangerine juice in a small non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to ½ cup. Cool to room temperature.
Peel the 2 tangerines, removing all the white pith and segment, over a bowl, to catch both the segments and the juices. Cover and refrigerate until cold.
Combine the reduced juice, tarragon, egg yolk, salt and pepper to taste. Blend in blender until well mixed. With the machine running, add the 1 cup olive oil, at first by drops and then, as mixture emulsifies, in a thin steady stream until all the oil is incorporated. Taste for seasoning, Scrape into a jar, cover, and refrigerate until needed. You should have about 1 2/3 c mayonnaise. Keeps 2-3 days, refrigerated.
Prepare the grill to medium. Toss the cooled asparagus with about 1 T olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning the spears as needed, until they take on a little color and are just tender.
Arrange the asparagus on a platter with the reserved tangerine segments. Dot with the mayonnaise, and drizzle with any tangerine juice left in the bowl. Garnish with the zest and optional nuts.
Cooks note: Every cook has insecurities. One of mine is mayonnaise. I get anxious until I see it coming together in the blender. If the mayonnaise is too thick, thin it, with the machine running, by pulsing in a little cool water. If you are concerned about raw eggs, use a pasteurized egg product or egg substitute like Egg Beaters. Bonnies note: This mayo is delicious, but can take some time. I have also mixed a little tangerine juice into Hellmanns mayonnaise, added the tarragon, and a touch of cayenne, and garnished with the zest and nuts. Its still pretty good. Or simply make the day ahead and refrigerate to save time on the day of your lamb dinner. Four high school boys, afflicted with spring fever, skipped morning classes.
After lunch they reported to their teacher that they had had a flat tire.
Much to their relief, she smiled and said,
Well, you missed a test today, so take seats apart from one another
and take out a piece of paper.
Still smiling, they found their seats.
Then the teacher said, First question.
Which tire was flat?I joke 6
SEE YOU SOON!!!
|
May the Holy Spirit Guide You! God Bless |

Edward Knapton says Keep on Smiling!
Sec – Treasurer Berry Hill Farms, Inc.
DBA Americas Best Flowers Garden Center
4311 Vilas Hope Road
Cottage Grove, WI 53527
608-222-2269 Fax 608-222-1234 Cell 608-698-5627