Herb 'n Garden

TULIP TIME

by Sue Baltes

This time of year finds me reminiscing about days gone by, about plants, plant people and many comments about winter flowers and tulips seem to top the list. Recently Candie Rudinski stopped by because she had to have a yellow tulip wreath. I showed her other wreaths I thought she might rather have but she said she had to have a yellow tulip wreath because it was her mother’s favorite flower and favorite color. So Candie left with a yellow tulip wreath. And another young woman had to have a bouquet of red tulips to place on her grandmother’s grave because Granny (as she called her) had always grown red tulips. Others have shared their love of flowers and reasons why tulips seem to top the list.

Now here I’ll share a little about growing tulips and their history and also why I don’t grow or even like tulips, a flower that comes in a rainbow of colors; red, white, yellow, orange, pink, bi-color, purple and even black. They get their name

from the Turkish word which means turban and they are classified as a perennial that would come back every year, but most people have to replant them annually to have repeat flowers each year.

And now, why I hate to grow them; several years ago I decided I wanted my front yard full of pink and purple tulips so I actually ordered them online by the box from a company in Michigan and in the fall I prepared my flower beds to grow these beautiful bulbs. I wanted to do it right so by next March I would have flower beds full of purple pansies along with those pink and purple tulips. I visualized those tulips popping up all tall and majestic, like a piece of artwork. I crawled around on my knees with a trowel and the box of bone meal putting a teaspoon under each tulip bulb and gently placed each bulb with its basil plate down, that’s what they call the root area of the bulb, covered each with soil and planted pansies around and finally gently covered them with mulch. I spent almost an entire day on this procedure and just knew the next spring I would have a spectacular flower bed. The next day I hurt all over from the digging and planting, but I thought it would be so worth the pain of that fall day when the tulips emerged from their winter rest. Then we had a few

days of gentle rains and I’m thinking that would be so good for my tulips and pansies. A few days later I looked in my front yard and see the pansies all ripped up and dying and the tulips bulbs have been dug up and they are just gone, and there sits a brown squirrel with a fat belly chirping a big thank you for his stash of tulip bulbs I’m sure he and his relatives had stashed and stored. I honestly did not get a flower that spring, except I did replant some of the pansies in window boxes and the next year I switched to daffodils because apparently squirrels are not fond of them. And instead of crawling around using the bulb planter and bone meal under each, I just threw them around and spread a few bags of soil and said to the daffodils ”Do your thing”. For the past five years I’ve had a beautiful bed of yellow daffodils that have multiplied without any help from me.

Now I do tend to treat myself to a pot of growing tulips every now and then, and I enjoy them much like a cut flower. Once they die back I put the bulb and soil in my compost and don’t even try to plant them because these potted ones have been forced to grow as potted plants and chances of getting them to regrow next season are slim to impossible, at least in my experience. Tulips were once considered a plant owned by people of great wealth, but nowadays a person can buy a pot of tulips for under $10.00 at most any grocery stores or garden centers during the winter to early spring and enjoy for about a week.

Cut tulips are also sold in bunches and they typically have about a five-day lifespan – if you change the water daily. An interesting fact is they continue to grow after being cut. Also, another tip is if your tulips begin to droop try adding a copper penny to the water then stand back and watch them perk back up. Not sure if it is the metal or tulips are just impressed by money; who cares if it works!

Sue Baltes is the owner of Herb 'n Garden shop on the corner of Academy Street and Bicentennial Park. The shop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 1 to 5 pm.

COMMUNITY NEWS

ASHEBORO BAGEL CO.

Asheboro has a new bagel shop!!

When I moved to the South, one of the things that I missed the most was bagels. The ones you buy in the grocery store just do not cut it when you have grown up with bagels and freshly whipped cream cheese. In Maine where I grew up, we had Mr. Bagel, which opened in the late 70s by a couple who moved there from New York. There is nothing like a good New York bagel. Until now…

Sara and Greg Holden, who opened Asheboro Popcorn Co. in 2019, saw the need for a bagel shop in town. A shop that is not just about bagels, but it is about having a place to gather with friends over coffee, have a business meeting, or just read a book while you enjoy a good bagel and coffee. Where you did not feel like you had to order a whole meal, and it was not too expensive.

When the previous tenant decided to close, Brooks Hedrick immediately texted Sara and asked her if they were interested in taking a look at the space. They were interested and took over the space in early June 2020, at the height of the Coronavirus Pandemic, mind you. For the next eight months, Greg and Sara worked tirelessly to renovate the inside of the space. With the help of a few specialized contractors like Pugh Electric, Greg and Sara did the majority of the work themselves.

While they were renovating the space, they found cool items that were left over from when the Carolina Theatre was located there. They discovered the old theatre office door, billboards and movie reels, signs, and bottle caps. Maybe the most exciting find were the stools that used to be located where Asheboro Popcorn Co. is now in what used to be Recreation Soda Shop. The stools were in dire need of restoration, but once recovered, they proudly encircle the counter that also used to be in the Soda Shop just down the street over 70 years ago!

Sara and Greg Holden wearing "walking aprons" made by their daughter, Hannah, from Hannah Rose Customs

Greg is a handy guy to know. He was able to manufacture just about everything he needed to set up the kitchen and retail space for the shop. In addition to what Greg was able to build, they used local artisans like Sheffibilt, a local metal fabricator who made their beautiful outdoor signs at both the Bagel shop and the Popcorn shop. They also made the one above their daily specials’ chalkboard just inside the door.

The bagel shop opened on February 5th to rave reviews. In the first month they have been in business, they have had 1,294 customer transactions, sold out of bagels many times (over 7,680 in the first 16 days they were open!).

Sara and Greg work in the kitchen, coming in at 4 am to make the bagels that have been proofing overnight, and whipping up pounds of cream cheese to support the growing demand. They have three students who work the counter from 6:30 to 10:30 am, and then two staff members come in to take over from 10 am to 2 pm, when they close.

Making bagels is not for the faint of heart. In order to get that New York style, the bagels must be proofed (let the dough rise overnight), they must be boiled, the toppings and then baked. They are amazing, crusty, and chewy, just like you get in New York!

Sara is looking forward to hosting events in the space, as the Pandemic restrictions ease. In February, they hosted a small story slam event. The theme was “Seeing the Light in the Darkness” and several participants pay $5 and put

their names in the hat to be randomly chosen to tell a true story between 10 to 15 minutes long that aligns with the theme. The next one will be held in April, so watch their Facebook page for times and more information.

The bagel shop is also playing host to local artists. Sharon “Miffy” Farkas is the first artist to be featured and was one of the first people the Holdens met when they moved to Asheboro. You can purchase the art and leave it there for the duration or take it home with you and the artist can put up a different piece. The art will change quarterly and next up is Laura Moffitt from Laura Ashley Live Art. Her work will be hanging from May to September. If you are a local artist and would like to have your art displayed at the shop, contact Sara to get on the schedule.

Sara has been approached several times by coffee shops and restaurants from as far away as Siler City hoping to get their hands on these delicious round treats. The closest place for others to get bagels is Chapel Hill. But for right now, Sara and Greg are focused on the Asheboro market. If you have not had a change to stop in and try their bagels, I suggest arriving before 10:30 in the morning, because that is when one of my favorites, French Toast, sells out! You have to get there early to get your favorite flavors.

Asheboro Bagel Co. is located at located at 208 Fayetteville Street in Asheboro, between Four Saints Brewing and Asheboro Popcorn Co. Their hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 7 am to 2 pm. The phone number is 336.521.6938 and If you are looking to pick up a big order of bagels for your office or home, it is suggested that you call in your order the day before if possible so they can make sure to have them ready for you.

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