Sleepy Hollow Bed & Breakfast

When you do the kind of work that Tony & I do, you meet the most interesting people.  No weekend at flea markets is ever the same and I like it that way.  Overall, I believe the Farm On Holly’s Hill has the best customers.  On Saturday, we had the pleasure of staying at the Sleepy Hollow Bed & Breakfast owned by two of our customers, Mike & Toni Tuttle.

Most weekends spent at McKinney doing the Third Monday Trades Days finds us in a hotel room in the evening.  These nights are pleasant enough, but we don’t really relax.  Tony needs space and something green and growing in sight when you look out the window to be able to unwind and I need the absence of sports teams and their parents that are usually buzzed.  Honestly, before the night at Sleepy Hollow, we really didn’t realize that it was possible to rest and relax so when we were working.

The city of McKinney has certainly grown over the past few years, but there are a few pockets left that are still country.  Sleepy Hollow is tucked at the end of a little country road just minutes from the downtown.  The owners have done a wonderful job of keeping the atmosphere peaceful and beautiful.  The plantings create little snapshots with just the right plant in just the right place.  Many paths lead you through the woods and meadows, there are even nesting sites of Blue Herons visible from the Wedding Meadow.  The Wedding Meadow is a small meadow with an enormous tree spreading its branches out creating a very intimate atmosphere.

I was smitten with this place.  Tony was calmer than I have seen him in a long time.  For those of you who know us, you are probably thinking “When is Tony not calm?”  Well, he gets tense in his own way and all the going and blowing we do this time of year has had him on edge.  A few hours of wandering through the woods, sitting in the swings, and staring at the pretty pond with a lovely bridge and he was good as new.

Not only did we enjoy the outside of Sleepy Hollow, the inside was just as relaxing.  Given the cool temperatures, we slept with the windows open.  If you have never fallen asleep to the night chorus of frogs, crickets, and wind chimes, you have been missing out.  Then we awoke to the birds singing and the pretty wind chimes.  We took another walk before breakfast.  Breakfast was wonderful, truly the best quiche I have ever had with fruit and grits, muffins and rolls.  What a way to start the day!  Usually, by Sunday I am really ready to go home and have no desire to deal with people.  But, when you have given your soul rest and your body rest things are different.  We got to our booth relaxed and in a good mood.  So, we reserved a night for next month.

If you are needing a getaway, I highly recommend staying a Sleepy Hollow B&B in McKinney, Texas.  Mike & Toni Tuttle are gracious hosts and very enjoyable. Check them out @ http://www.sleepyhollowhideawaybandb.com/

Hot Springs 2012

In 2004, our family vacation was to Arkansas.  Hot Springs was the second stop on that journey, Crater of Diamonds was the first stop- it was awesome.  While in Hot Springs, we stayed at the Arlington Hotel.  We were smitten and have wanted to go back ever since.

The Arlington Hotel as viewed from our hike.

So, this past week we skipped town for a mini-vacation before our busy season with the nursery really gets rolling.  The older two were so excited when we told them we were going and began to tell the younger two how great this trip was going to be.  It was pleasantly surprising to see how much they remembered and what they remembered.  Jonathan was 3 and Sierra was 5, so understandably they didn’t remember a whole lot.  However, once there one of the younger two would say, “Oh, I remember that, that was here?”

We didn't even try not to look like tourists.  This is on the main street.

The Arlington Hotel is a landmark in Hot Springs, in his day Al Capone was a frequent guest.  The hotel still has that feel of a bygone era- one gentleman we met described Hot Springs as “the town that time forgot”- that pretty much sums it up.  I found out about this place from my good friends and former employers who took their kiddos there on vacation. Kids from both families believe the pool at this hotel to be second to none.  After all, how cool is a double decker pool hanging off the side of a mountain?!  The hot tub was great too, and heated by the hot springs.

They go together like peas and carrots. 

We left Friday morning and reached Hot Springs by afternoon.  The first order of business after check-in is always to swim.  That we did, well some of us swam, those with all of our faculties just sat in the hot tub.  Then we dressed for dinner.  It was great fun getting dressed up and walking down the busy street to a really nice Italian place for a wonderful dinner.  Everything we wanted to do was in walking distance, even the national park is across the street.

The upper level  of a really cool pool.

Of all the hot tubs I have been in, this is my favorite!

Beautiful Ladies and a beautiful meal.

On Saturday after a really good breakfast at Granny’s Kitchen, we set out to find the old fellow blowing glass in Santa’s Workshop.  Tony and I could remember finding him near the Alligator Farm- another attraction that is fantastic for the family- but that was about all the details we could recall.  As we headed to the alligator farm, we passed Dryden pottery.  We stopped in and took in the really fine art of clay pottery going on there.  We choose a lovely vase as our souvenir and asked the grandson of the founder about the glass blower.  I am sad to report that Old Bill, as he was called, had passed away and his shop was no more.  We were pretty bummed, Savannah and Sierra had planned to get their keepsakes at his shop.  Old Bill will never know that his handmade ornaments go on our tree every year and his picture is in our scrapbook- he lives on.  He was Savannah’s favorite memory from the first trip.  To be some one’s favorite memory would, in my opinion, be a sign of a life well spent.

The World's Largest Wheel-thrown Vase by Dryden

With the task of finding the glass blower completed, however sadly, we set off to see the rest of the shops.  Lunch was simple burgers and fries and then, more swimming.  I must have given birth to 4 tadpoles, because they could live in the water.  When the swimming was finished, Tony, Sierra, Jonathan and I went hiking.  Seeing the hot springs running out of the mountain into little pools was a wonder.  The water coming out averages 140 degrees.  Jonathan is a rock hound and he had a ball finding many crystals along the paths.  His backpack was considerably heavier on the return hike.  The views from the top of the mountain were incredible.

The rock hound

With all the hiking and swimming, we had worked up quite an appetite.  Papa John’s delivered pizza for the kids and Tony and I headed out for dinner alone.  There are certainly some perks to traveling with older kids.  We had a wonderful dinner at The Porterhouse.  The last time we came, we enjoyed a date night as well, but that was because we had brought along our cousin, Stephanie, who was an awesome nanny!  Our nephew, Stephen was with us, too.  All those kids prompted many a person to ask “Are all those yours?”

Sunday was time to head home.  We were ready and sad at the same time.  I was a bit grumpy.  Our sleep had been interrupted due to a fraternity booking a lot of rooms.  It seems pie beta stupid had some pressing business to attend to at very early/late hours.  Anyway, it was a great trip overall.  If you are looking for a family friendly vacation spot, Hot Springs tops my list.  No need to worry about frat parties in the summer- they only come out at spring break!

A Day Off....

Verbena that has bloomed all through the summer and winter.

First Monday Trades Days has come and gone, it was a great one.  Being such a good weekend with folks out buying plants for their homes, we were wore out!  So, we took Monday off.

For such a relaxed day, I accomplished a lot in the garden.  The last of the garden boxes had been weeded and all the boxes prepped, so I planted our cool season veggies along with a few others that should do well being planted a little early.  Cucumbers and Squash have always done well for me when planted in March.  Our last freeze date is mid-March and these seedlings should be popping up just after that date.  No matter the previous year, hope springs eternal in the gardener's heart and spring is always full of hope and excitement of what the new growing season holds.

Speaking of the previous year, it would be an understatement to say that it was disappointing.  If anyone managed to grow much, it was with much labor and a high water bill.  Many of us had to draw the line at what would get water and what wouldn't and then just hope that the plants we loved would make it through.  Lots of the plants did not make it.  I have many beds that did not make the watering list.  So, when I began weeding those beds on Monday I was greatly surprised to find many things growing.  The Autumn Sage is looking great, Chamomile, Parsley, and Running Petunia were up and looking great.  The petunias are an heirloom variety that will re-seed itself.  I will be honest, those plants struggled so that I did not think I would see it again.  I am happy to report that I was wrong.  I have about 5 plants up from seed and looking wonderful.

For such a cool, sunny day, I was amazed at how hot it was inside the greenhouse.  Before weeding and planting, I spent the morning in the greenhouse bumping seedlings into their four inch pots.  Cherokee Purple is one of my favorite tomatoes, its flavor is simply outstanding.  Once you have had these heirloom veggies, you just can't be satisfied by what is offered in the grocery store.  Now there are several flats of these plants growing great along with oregano and basil.  Next to be bumped is Ilini Gold and Arkansas Traveler tomatoes, Fish Peppers, Sweet Banana Peppers, Eggplant and winter Thyme.  These are sprouted and should be ready to bump when we get back from Hot Springs.

It was a wonderful day, the kind you would love to say linger on.  Tony and I finished the day sitting in the swing watching the dove and the sunset.  It just doesn't get better than that...                                                

Could You Use A Little More "Thyme"?

Thyme

Lovely plant and wonderful scent

Kitchen Dictionary: thyme

Pronounced: TIME

This is one of those little plants that laughs in the face of a Texas summer and remains undaunted by a few freezes.  The creeping variety has been spreading between the rock stepping stones in my herb garden for months.  I have to harvest it or it will cover the stones.  It is fabulous!  With dark green foliage that is so petit it belies its strong flavor, it is a perfect choice for edging the bed or filling in between the stones.

For me, it was surprising to see that Thyme is classified as a Southern European and Mediterranean ingredient.  I thought it was totally southern cooking.  When you think of decidedly southern dishes such as Chicken n’ Dumplins, Turkey & Dressing, Roast Chicken, Meatloaf, and so on, Thyme is a key player in creating the warm comforting tones of these dishes.  If I am boiling chicken for almost anything, I have Thyme in the pot, too.  Nothing beats the flavor of a lightly battered filet of Tilapia with Thyme mixed in the flour and cornmeal, I don’t care who you are- that is good right there!

Being that Thyme is a perennial, it is easiest to start with a seedling in the garden.  Soggy places are no good for Thyme as it likes will drained soil.  Lots of sun is a must, but a little afternoon shade in a Texan summer is greatly appreciated.  This is an extremely easy plant to grow. 

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

With Thyme being available in the garden year round, there is no reason not use fresh Thyme in all your cooking.  Just snip off what you need and chop it finely or tie the sprigs together with kitchen twine and remove before serving.  Thyme is a well-mannered herb and is not given to being over-powering in a dish.  To a roasted chicken, I will sprinkle about 2 teaspoons over the skin or add about 2 tablespoons to a pot of soup.  Your personal tastes really are the determining factor in how much to use.  Experience is the best teacher, so give it a try.

Thyme is perfect for filling gaps in a rock pathway

However; some days it may not be very convenient to get to the garden, so I like to keep dried herbs in the pantry. To dry Thyme, cut as much as you want from the plant- but never taking more than two thirds of the mother plant- and using a rubber band, secure the stems and hang in a dry place with good air circulation.  I have a little “clothes line” strung above my refrigerator where I clip bunches of herbs for drying.  Once dry, which will take about 2 weeks, remove the leaves from the stems and place the leaves in a air-tight container and store out of the sunlight.  Dried herbs keep for about 6 months and any extra you may have makes great gift ideas.

A "mini- clothesline" works great for drying small amounts of herbs

Matches well with: beef, carrots, chicken, figs, fish, goat cheese, lamb, lentils, onions, peas, pork, potatoes, soups, tomatoes, venison 

So, get planting!  Everyone needs a little more “thyme” in their day!

Roses, Herbs, and Compost

Man alive, the weather has just been gorgeous!  As I worked outside over the past few days, there were birds everywhere.  I am so glad to have a business that requires me to be outside.

It may only be February, but spring is really gaining momentum.  I am not the only one feeling it, a lot of calls and emails have started to come in inquiring about certain plants and compost piles.  According to the farmer's almanac, the spring equinox will be on March 20th, the earliest start of spring in 116 years.  Spring is definitely coming early this year.

The compost pile that has been working all through the hot dry summer and this winter did not look like much on top.  I could still see whole leaves and hay on top, but once I shoved the shovel through the first layer, I felt that resistance give way.  Underneath the intact top layer was the gorgeous deep brown stuff my dreams are made of these days.  I haven't decided if I will continue composting in this spot or if I will put in a flower bed there.  If I put in a bed, the ground is already prepared.

For now, the compost is helping the business grow.  Last Thursday, we picked up our first order of David Austin Roses.  Roses are my love and David Austin has done an amazing job of breeding roses for beautiful old world blooms and scent while achieving the repeat blooming of the modern rose and keeping the disease resistance strong.  I have had several of these roses in my garden for several years.  To be honest, they were not thriving like my earth-kind roses were in the same bed.  Then, Mark Chamblee spoke to our Master Gardening Class and said that David Austin Roses like a little afternoon shade in our very hot Texas summers.  So, I relocated the roses and WOW- they took off and thrived right on through this record breaking heat and drought.  Now, I am proud to add the David Austin roses to our product line-up for 2012.  Saturday, four of us- Jonathan, Sierra, Tony and I- potted up 100 roses in 3 gallon pots.  That was some work!  However, we had a good time talking and laughing.  Sierra can now prune a rose bush with the best of them.  Each pot received a mixture of planting medium and compost with a layer of compost on top as a mulch.

Not only did I pot roses on Saturday, but I also potted in 4in cups 75 tomato plants.  "June Pink" is an early heirloom variety that is supposed to rippen  up early so those of us who just can't wait to eat fresh tomatoes don't have to wait so long!  My numbers are nothing compared to a lot of growers, but I am doing what I know I can do and do well.  There are 4 varieties that we will offer and all of them are organic.  "June Pink" is first into the pots, but Cherokee Purple, Iliini Yellow, and Arkansas Traveler are sprouted and will soon be in their pots ready for a new home.  As tempting as the weather is, tomatoes won't be ready to plant outside until the end of March. Tomatoes, Eggplants, and Peppers need the very warm/hot weather to thrive.

Herbs have kept me busy as well.  Herbs are second only to roses on my lists of loves.  However, since roses are considered to be herbs- I guess herbs are my first love!  We have flats and flats available and I am doing hanging baskets of herbs this year. 

Spring is no time to rest, but after such a wretched summer and a quiet winter I am ready to be busy.  Five out of six raised beds are ready to go.  So, I plan to have cool season veggies planted by the end of the week and that last bed will be cleaned out and ready, too.  From one 5X20 bed, my pig got 3 bushels of "organic greens", my goodness that is a of clover and weeds!  Happy Spring, Y'all!

Beautiful Day

Won't be long and the roses and iris will be putting on a show!

Today was just beautiful.  The temps were perfect the sun was gorgeous and the wind was reasonable!  Needles to say, we spent a lot of time outside.

As spring is coming on, a new to-do list emerges.  Tony got the lawn mower and tiller tuned up a ready to go and I got some mowing done.  With such a mild winter, there were all kinds of clover and such growing like crazy in the garden areas.  I like to let them go as long as I can since the bees and bugs like them, however, with it being so warm the plants were already going to seed.  I love the way the gardens look with all the open spaces neatly mowed.  Now I just have to get the clover cleaned up and out of the garden boxes.  Out of six boxes, I have cleaned out three and I did get the herb garden cleaned out, too.  I was tickled pink to see how many herbs were still with me and growing strong.

Savannah and Sierra spent a lot of time reading their books out on a blanket in the sun.  Jonathan helped Tony with the mower and such and lit the burn pile.  I am so grateful for the rain over the past weeks.  Jonathan was going through withdrawals over the summer since he couldn't burn anything for months.  Cheyenne went with me to Athens to update our booth at Winnie and Tallulah's.  We had a great lunch at McAlister's deli.  She had to work inside on college work once we got home so she didn't get to spend as much time outside as the rest of us.

 As it happens, dinner was late.  Once the temps warm up, dinner gets later and later.  We simply don't come in until the sun goes down.  Yes, that means that in the middle of the summer we don't eat until 9pm.  I always come up with a new "plan" to fix this, but the fact is we like being outside and that is all there is to it.  We know the winter is over when dinner is late and I have perpetually dirty knees.  Let the good times roll!

An Herb That Makes My Tastes-buds Happy- Cilantro

Cilantro Seedlings @ The Farm On Holly's Hill waiting for someone to take them home!

For years I always wondered what that flavor was in the Mexican restaurants that I could not replicate at home.  Then I became a Pampered Chef Lady back in the nineties and several of the recipes called for Cilantro.  I had to hunt this up in the grocery store as I had never heard of cilantro.  Once home, I cooked up the new recipe and how excited I was to find that flavor I had been missing!  I love it and so do lots of other people, but there are those who DO NOT like it.  So for those of you in the latter category, check back later and we will talk about an herb that you like.

Cilantro is the plant parts of the spice Coriander- which is the seed of the plant.  Cilantro is not hard to grow, but it does like the cooler temps so start it early inside or start with seedlings in the spring.  Moisture is important to this herb so keep the pot or bed watered once a week if the rain doesn't fall for you.  Spring is not the only time to plant cilantro, fall is great, too.  I have plants in my garden right now (February) that have not been bothered by the light freezes we have been having this winter.  You should grow some, not only will your tastes-buds thank you, but so will your body.

Cilantro and Dill growing happily in February!

The Global Healing center has this to say about the medicinal benefits of cilantro:

"This herb isn't just a commonly-used leaf and seed ingredient found in many tasty and exotic recipes, it's also a powerful natural cleansing agent. Cilantro has been effectively used to help remove heavy metals and other toxic agents from the body.

The chemical compounds in cilantro actually bind to the heavy metals, loosening them from the tissues, blood and organs. Cilantro's chemical compounds then aid to transport these harmful substances out of the body through elimination.

There is also a large amount of literature suggesting that cilantro could be one of nature's best chelation agents, particularly for individuals who have been exposed to heightened levels of mercury. Mercury excess is a common problem that may be the result of metallic teeth fillings or over-consumption of predatory fish. Many people suffering from excess mercury report that the feeling of disorientation resulting from the poisoning can be greatly reduced through consuming large and regular amounts of cilantro over an extended period.

Also, the rich qualities of cilantro oil have a powerfully positive effect on our inner digestive tract. The oils aid our digestive system in its production of digestive enzymes, acids and juices. The oil also helps to stimulate digestion through peristaltic motion.

The known benefits of cilantro are extensive, and researchers are discovering more every day. Currently, there are several well-known, well-documented benefits of organic cilantro, including:

List of Cilantro Benefits:

• Powerful anti-inflammatory capacities that may help symptoms of arthritis
• Protective agents against bacterial infection from Salmonella in food products
• Acts to increase HDL cholesterol (the good kind), and reduces LDL cholesterol (the bad kind)
• Relief for stomach gas, prevention of flatulence and an overall digestive aid
• Wards off urinary tract infections
• Helps reduce feelings of nausea
• Eases hormonal mood swings associated with menstruation
• Has been shown to reduce menstrual cramping.
• Adds fiber to the digestive tract
• A source of iron, magnesium, and is helpful in fighting anemia
• Gives relief for diarrhea, especially if caused by microbial or fungal infections
• Helps promote healthy liver function.
• Reduces minor swelling
• Strong general antioxidant properties
• Disinfects and helps detoxify the body
• Stimulates the endocrine glands
• Helps with insulin secretion and lowers blood sugar
• Acts as a natural anti-septic and anti-fungal agent for skin disorders like fungal infections and eczema
• Contains immune-boosting properties
• Acts as an expectorant
• Helps ease conjunctivitis, as well as eye-aging, macular degeneration, and other stressors on the eyes.

James A. Duke, Ph.D., a former botanist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and author of The CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, states that cilantro has been shown to settle the stomach. He recommends drinking a cup of the tea made from a handful of the leaves, when experiencing any form of stomach discomfort.^4"

^{Just another great reason to have an herb garden!}