Written by Alex | June 26, 2014 | 2014 NewslettersNewsletter Tags: flowers, Gardening, jokes, recipies, stories
Find us at these Farmer’s Markets
Newsletter 19 – Thursday, June 26, 2014
Current Hours
Cottage Grove – open Mon-Fri 9-8, Sat and Sun 9-6.
Edgerton open Mon-Fri 8:30-6, Sat 8:30-5, Sun 9-4.
Lucys Story – Chapter 55
So, it happened again. There I was minding my own business, kinda in and out of a great nap (gosh, I make it sound like I sleep a lot dont I?) and I heard a word that made my ears perk up. Sadly, this time it was not one of my favorite words or expressions like treat, walk or a surprise for Lucy. This is one of the ugliest words known to us descendents of the great wolf. The word makes my skin crawl. Actually, it makes my skin itch! Yep, you guessed it…FLEAS!
My mom was talking some kind of nonsense to my dad about finding fleas and selling fleas. Whats gotten into her this time? She took everything out of the cupboards and closets looking for fleas. She picked through it all and put only some of the stuff back where it came from. Stacks and stacks of odds-and-ends were building in the kitchen, the hall way, and the bedrooms. I didnt see any signs of fleas, but hey, I was keeping my distance, ya know what Im saying? Then she disappeared down to the basement to, apparently, look for them down there too.
Youre probably wondering where my dad was during all of this, werent you? Well, my dad was in his man cave (just another example of silly words that a dog would never consider uttering). This is where my dad disappears to when my mom is on one of her missions as my dad puts it. There is a TV, a comfy chair and a cooler out there. Oh, out there means out in the garage. He seems to think he is safe there, but it doesnt seem to be, cause thats the first place my mom goes to look for him.
My dad could tell that I was confused by all the commotion the fleas were causing, so my sweet dad let me join him in his cave. Then he explained the whole selling fleas thing to me. Apparently, my mom wasnt looking for real live biting, itchy annoying fleas to sell. She was looking for stuff that she didnt want or need anymore and she was going to sell the stuff at a thing like a great big garage sale with a bunch of other people. Well, for goodness sakes! Why didnt she just say garage sale? I know what those are. We have a couple of them at our house every summer.
Finally, my mom came up from the basement and stuck her head into the garage. She had an armful of stuff and asked my dad if he would please help carry more stuff up for the flea sale (aka garage sale).
After they got done carrying things upstairs my mom looks over at me and my dad and says,
Hmmm, I wonder what else I can get rid of.
Im not quite sure if it was the tone in her voice or the look in her eyes when she said that, but my dad and I looked at each other and then we made a mad dash for the back door.
~Lucy
Thanks to all who responded to last weeks contest. The correct name of Lucys backyard detective dummy is Drake after Paul Drake from the 1957 Perry Mason series. Tammy, was the first person to post the correct name on Facebook and has won a $25 Americas Best Flowers gift card.
~Till next time,
Shirley
Featured Plant of the Week Butterfly Bush

Buddleja davidii ‘Black Knight’
If you like butterflies and hummingbirds then we have the perfect flowering shrub for you. Our featured Black Knight and Petite Purple Butterfly Bush have fragrant and long-lasting blooms that youll be able to enjoy from April through October. This fast-growing and drought-tolerant shrub likes full to part sun.
Relax and enjoy the colorful concert of color the Butterfly Bush will bring to your garden.
Stop on out and pick up one or more of our Butterfly Bushes and receive 20% off!
A perfect parent is a person with excellent childrearing theories and no actual children.
Dave Barry
July 12 is our 1st Flea Market for 2014!
America’s Best Flowers
2014 Flea Market Schedule and Information
July 12 | Saturday | Flea Market 8am – 3pm Rain or Shine |
August 23 | Saturday | Flea Market 8am – 3pm Rain or Shine |
Sept 14 | Sunday | Flea Market 8am – 3pm Rain or Shine |
Oct 18 | Saturday | Flea Market 8am – 3pm Rain or Shine |
We all have too much stuff, dont we? Why not take advantage of the opportunity to turn your garage and basement clutter into cold hard cash!
For participation we require a non-refundable registration fee of $25.00. After you have your space set up on the morning of the flea market, Americas Best Flowers will present you with a $20.00 America’s Best Flowers gift card.
Each vendor will be allowed two parking spaces, which equals one booth, to display their wares. More vendor space is available for an additional $10.00 for each parking space. Additional space must be requested at the time of the initial registration. Each vendor is limited to only one $20.00 America’s Best Flowers gift card regardless of the number of parking spaces (booths). The flea market will be located in our huge blacktop parking lot. Rain or shine!
Farmers Market Schedule
Weather permitting Americas Best Flowers we will be at the following local farmers markets:
Tuesdays | Cambridge | 2-6pm | www.cambridgewi.com |
Wednesday | Lake Mills | 2-6pm | www.lakemills.org |
Thursday | Jefferson | 11-2pm | www.jeffersonwis.com |
For exact farmers market locations please refer to the above websites.
Love Thy Neighbor
Bryce Abbott-Bilsky is an 8 year old 2nd grader at Cottage Grove Elementary school. Bryce, has recently been diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma, which is a rare form of bone cancer.
To assist Bryces family with medical expenses a fundraiser will be held on Saturday, July 12, at the Black Bear Inn, 320 W. Cottage Grove Road, Cottage Grove, Wi.
For more details please contact Angela at 608-220-3816 or bebravewithbryce@gmail.com.
Send Al your gardening questions!
Americas Best Flowers wants to help you succeed in your gardening efforts. If you have gardening questions send an email to our Operations Manager, Al Lunde, at abflunde@yahoo.com. Al will get back to you promptly. Let America’s Best Flowers be your go-to greenhouse for answers.
Nowadays they say you need a special chip to put in the TV so kids cant watch this and that. In my day, we didnt need a chip. My mom was the chip. End of story.
Ray Charles
Upcoming Events
Sun, Jun 1 – Mon, Jun 30 | Perennial of the Week Focus is on a new perennial each week. |
Sat, Jul 12 | Flea Market 8am 3pm Rain or Shine |
Sat, Jul 19 | Universal Saw & Tool Sharpening 9am-4pm – Get those tools ready for easier gardening. |
Sat, Jul 26 | 4th Annual Dog Wash Fund Raiser for the Dane County Humane Society 11am-3pm Bring your dirty dogs out to the garden. |
Sat, Aug 9 | Customer Appreciation Day at the greenhouse! |
Sat, Aug 23 | Flea Market 8am 3pm Rain or Shine |
Our Kitchen
This is one of Judys favorite summertime salad recipes. It originally comes from the Fedora Café and Bar. With fresh strawberries and spinach available in the markets, this is the time of year to enjoy it. The poppy seed dressing makes more than enough for this recipe. Either cut it in half or store remainder in refrigerator for future use.
Spinach Salad with Fresh Strawberries
Poppy Seed Dressing
- 1 c sugar
- 1 ½ t dry mustard
- 1 ½ t coarse salt
- ½ c cider vinegar
- 1 c plus 3 T vegetable oil
- 1 ½ t poppy seeds
Salad
- ¼ c pecans
- 1/8 t ground cinnamon
- 1 pound fresh spinach, well washed, with tough stems removed
- 1 red onion, peeled
- 24 fresh strawberries, quartered
- Additional poppy seeds, for garnish
Directions
In the top of a double boiler, combine the sugar, mustard, salt and vinegar. Cook over hot water until the sugar is dissolved, then transfer to a blender. With the blender on, slowly add the oil to thicken. Add the poppy seeds and blend. Refrigerate until needed.
Arrange the pecans on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the cinnamon. Bake for approximately 5 minutes, or until toasted and fragrant. Cool.
Tear the spinach into bite-size pieces and arrange on 6 chilled plates. Slice the onion paper thin, separate into rings, and scatter over the spinach. Divide the strawberries equally among the salads and top with the toasted pecans. Drizzle dressing over all and sprinkle with additional poppy seeds if desired.

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