DeSoto Magazine March 2021

House to Home offers a wide variety of Home Decor products & SUPER low prices.

House to Home is a Home Decor Superstore, located at the intersection of Hwy 51 and Stateline Road in Southaven, Mississippi.

HOUSE TO HOME offers home furnishings at wholesale prices.

We’ve been called “the best kept secret in Southaven”.

RUGS VASES SILK FLOWERS MIRRORS WALL DECOR RIBBON MESH 8961 Hwy 51 North. Southaven, Mississippi housetohomewholesale@comcast.net www.housetohomewholesale.com

662-393-2121 Mon-Thurs 11- 8, Fri -Sat 11- 9. Closed Sunday

DeSoto 5

6 DeSoto

DeSoto 7

8 DeSoto

March CONTENTS 2021 • VOLUME 18 • NO. 3

features

44 50

56

Trees of Life ​The Art of Growing Bonsai

​ etals from the Past: P ​Planting, Growing, Educating

​Lovely Lavender ​A Garden Winner

departments 14 Living Well Gardening in the Time of Covid ​ 18 Notables Marshall Bartlett

40 On the Road Again ​Dauphin Island, Alabama 42 Greater Goods 62 Homegrown ​Cast Stone Planters

22 Exploring Art Coontown Pottery

26 Exploring Books ​World of Wonders

64 Southern Gentleman ​Crawfish Boils 68 Southern Harmony ​Bailey Bigger

30 Southern Roots Amaryllis Redux

72 In Good Spirits U.S. Cocktails

32 Table Talk Cultivation Food Hall

36 Exploring Destinations ​Vicksburg, MS

18

74 Reflections ​The Return of Softball

50

68

DeSoto 9

10 DeSoto

editor’s note | MARCH

Signs of Spring

​Although we still may have a few chilly mornings this month, the signs of spring are quietly showing themselves. Daffodil buds are peeking through the mulch, bluebirds are building their nests in a nearby birdhouse, tiny frogs are creating quite a chorus near the lake each evening, and butterflies are dancing around my flower beds. And it’s been joyful (and rewarding) to watch my gardening efforts take root with bumper crops of lettuce and herbs that are now ready for consumption. ​ I was especially excited to read Pamela Keene’s feature story, “Lovely Lavender,” because I’ve wanted to grow this fragrant plant for years but was discouraged because of the heat and humidity in my gardening zone.

Not only does Pamela introduce us to two families who own lavender farms, but she also shares tips for choosing the right kinds of lavender plants for local gardens. ​Bonsai trees are works of art as Tracy Morin tells us in her feature story about Brussel’s Bonsai Nursery. Imagine our surprise to learn this Olive Branch business is the largest bonsai nursery in the U.S., and they even supply the miniature trees for a Netflix television show. ​ Where do you go for answers to your gardening questions? Writer Connie Pearson found her answers at Petals from the Past in Jemison, Ala. Her feature story about the multigenerational family that owns this

MARCH 2021 • Vol. 18 No.3

PUBLISHER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR Adam Mitchell PUBLISHER & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Paula Mitchell ADVERTISING CONSULTANT Melanie Dupree CO-EDITORS Mary Ann DeSantis Cheré Coen

fabulous gardening center is one you don’t want to skip if you are looking for educational workshops, online resources, or just a day trip to a beautiful garden. ​ This month’s Green & Growing issue is filled with stories for gardeners and non-gardeners alike. Even if you aren’t interested in playing in the dirt, you’ll find stories about fun destinations like Vicksburg and Dauphin Island, delicious food, and talented artists and performers.

Looking back at our February issue, we apologize to Jessielyn Palumbo, whose name was omitted from the credits in our story about Miss Mississippi USA Asya Branch. Both Palumbo and Benjamin Askinas supplied photos through the IMG Universe LLC. Happy reading,

CONTRIBUTORS Michele Baker Cheré Coen Amy Conry Davis Jason Frye Verna Gates Amelia Grant Pamela A. Keene Tracy Morin Connie Pearson Trudy Haywood Saunders Elizabeth Tettleton Karon Warren Kevin Wierzbicki PUBLISHED BY DeSoto Media 2375 Memphis St. Ste 208 Hernando, MS 38632 662.429.4617 ADVERTISING INFO: Paula Mitchell 901-262-9887 Paula@DeSotoMag.com SUBSCRIBE: DeSotoMagazine.com/subscribe

DeSotoMagazine.com

on the cover

Brussel’s Bonsai Nursery in Olive Branch, Miss., provides inspiration for brand-new and experienced bonsai hobbyists. Owner Brussel Martin provided the cover photo of one of his workshop creations.

©2021 DeSoto Media Co. DeSoto Magazine must give permission for any material contained herein t o b e re p ro d u c e d i n a n y m a n n e r.

Any advertisements published in DeSoto Magazine do not constitute an endorsement of the advertiser’s services or products. DeSoto Magazine is published monthly by DeSoto Media Co. Parties interested in advertising should email paula@desotomag.com or call 901-262-9887. Visit us online at desotomagazine.com.

DeSoto 11

12 DeSoto

DeSoto 13

14 DeSoto

DeSoto 15

living well | GARDENING

Adam and his raised garden in early April

Garden at the end of May

16 DeSoto

Cucumber

Lettuce

Chili peppers

Growing Better Mental Health

By Karon Warren | Photography by Adam Mitchell

During the last year, gardening provided a much-needed respite from pandemic worries, with some folks saying it was downright therapeutic. ​When the pandemic hit last March, many people found themselves with a lot of extra time on their hands. After all, they weren’t spending time in work commutes, attending their kids’ extracurricular activities or going to the movies.

Once it became clear the pandemic would last much longer than a few weeks, folks started looking for ways to entertain themselves at home. For many, that meant starting a garden or sprucing up their landscape. ​In fact, for many people, gardening became therapy as they looked for an outlet to release stress and worry during the pandemic. Gardening has always been known for many physical health benefits, such as burning calories, improved concentration and, in the case of vegetable gardens, healthier eating. ​But playing in the dirt also provides many mental health benefits that include relieving stress, boosting moods, and reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. It certainly had those effects on Sarah Townsend Leach. ​During the pandemic, her husband decided to plant a vegetable garden at their Collierville, Tenn., home. Having grown up in the Southaven/Olive Branch, Miss., area, his family always had a garden as did Leach’s family in Nashville.

But neither had taken the time to plant a garden until now. For her husband, gardening is a creative outlet; he loves planting and growing the vegetables and then finding ways to cook up his harvest in the kitchen. For Leach, though, it was all about weeding the garden. ​“My nature is to clean up and throw out, so I started

weeding the flowerbeds,” Leach says. ​ She knew of the stress-relieving effects of gardening, and she also loved the boost of endorphins she received from the physical labor of her efforts. ​ “I was always aware that I was starting with chaos and bringing order to the area,” she says. “It allowed me to be in control when everything else was out of our control. Having a project you can control is good for your mental health.” ​ Memphis resident Elizabeth Palomo also upped her gardening game during the pandemic in an effort to create a joyful space for herself at home. ​ “It was incredibly therapeutic to take a plot of featureless lawn and turn it into a place of color and life,” she says. ​ Palomo filled her flowerbeds with purple coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, milkweed, and salvia with a backdrop of trellised cucumbers. ​“I learned recently there are microbes in soil that help with depression,” she says. “Just touching and breathing real, healthy soil can improve your mood significantly. I would really recommend taking up gardening to anyone who has been feeling down.” ​Even Desoto Magazine’s own publisher and creative director, Adam Mitchell, joined the gardening trend. He says he was like others who experienced a distrust regarding what to buy at stores because no one really knew what to expect from the COVID-19 virus. Plus, as he says, he now had the time on his hands to give it a go.

DeSoto 17

​ In early April 2020, Mitchell joined a Facebook group — Square Foot Gardening — to learn all he could about raised gardens. He soon had an 8-foot-by-8-foot raised garden up and ready to go. He planted tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and zucchini squash. By mid-June, he says the garden was “busting out.” ​“It was fun, and I can’t wait to do it again,” Mitchell says. “It took my mind off what was happening [during the pandemic].”

His 11-year-old twin daughters helped out, which Mitchell says was a great learning experience for them. ​“They enjoyed the process,” he says. “The girls loved to water the garden. It got them outside and got their hands in the dirt.” ​ At Southern Roots Nursery and Garden Center in Hernando, coowner Beth Haley says she definitely saw an uptick in plant sales in 2020.

Customers ranged from the usual customers doing their annual sprucing up and spring cleaning to those homeowners redoing a tired landscape or adding to a boring flowerbed, plus plenty of customers wanting to create privacy with trees and shrubs.

Of course, there were plenty of customers who, like Mitchell, were all about vegetable gardens.

These shoppers were joined by many inexperienced customers who previously had no interest in the state of their landscaping, Haley says. ​“During quarantine, they were wanting to beautify a space they were now spending so much time in, and they were seeking an escape from the craziness of the pandemic,” she says. “Yard work provided that outlet.” ​In the end, Haley says, with more time than before, people didn’t want a drab landscape. ​“Overall, most customers were excited to be gardening and doing yard work,” she says. “We had lovely weather, and our customers were outside soaking it up.”

A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, Karon Warren didn’t get to spend nearly enough time sprucing up her landscape, let alone start a vegetable garden, during the pandemic. She hopes to change that in 2021.

18 DeSoto

DeSoto 19

notables | MARSHALL BARTLETT

20 DeSoto

A Long Journey Back

By Amy Conry Davis | Photography courtesy of Erin Kim and Home Place Pastures

Armed with an Ivy League degree and worldly experience, Como’s Marshall Bartlett proves going home again can be the right thing to do. ​ For farmer Marshall Bartlett of Como, Miss., there’s no place like home. Home Place Pastures to be precise. It’s a sprawling 1800-acre farm (500 of it is used for the business) that’s been in the family for over a century. Now, thanks to the renewed efforts of Bartlett and his siblings, it continues on to feed another generation. ​ Farming wasn’t necessarily in Bartlett’s sights, but a few years after college he realized he wanted to return home to carry on the family business. He had studied environmental science at Dartmouth College and worked in places like St. Croix and New Orleans, but something called him home.

Though life could have taken him anywhere, he eventually returned to a small corner of the world in Mississippi’s hill country.

​“I feel like it was an inevitability... like the farm was always pulling me back,” says Bartlett. “Maybe I just knew, even in my most reckless and carefree years, that I was just on a long journey back to the farm. I couldn't really picture myself doing anything else. The farm was always my anchor.” ​ Armed with a degree and the energy and enthusiasm of a new endeavor, Bartlett took on the role of CEO and cofounder of Home Place Pastures in 2014. His brother Jemison and sister May also joined the business with entrepreneurial duties. Inspired by the likes of Joel Salatin, Will Harris, and other “generational” farmers, Bartlett wanted to forge a different vision for the land from what his father and grandfather had done before him. Rather than rely on conventional methods, he wanted to construct a more natural framework that would put DeSoto 21

the environment, the quality of the product, and the animals’ welfare at the forefront. ​ As the business developed, Bartlett drew guidance from family, community, and his cultural upbringing. So much of what he had learned growing up in the rural South was proving to be helpful in his new position as farmer-entrepreneur. He’d had an “ideal boyhood” on the farm and spent his early years fishing, swimming, hunting, and trapping. In his older years, everything from food to music to literature influenced his identity. That mix of formal education, life experience, and self-reliance served him well and today influences much of his decision-making process as CEO. ​“From my father and his employees, I learned to weld and fabricate metal, basic carpentry, how to operate and repair equipment, and how to design and build things,” says Bartlett. “I liked the mix of liberal arts classes during the school year and spending my summers learning hands-on practical skills while helping the family business.” ​ Seven years on and Bartlett and his staff have transformed Home Place Pastures into a “sustainable, pastured-animal operation.” They raise pigs, cows, lambs, and goats. From birth to slaughter, all of the animals live humanely, roaming freely in pastures. It’s a non-stop labor of love but with the help of 17 dedicated employees, the business manages to continue to grow and progress.

22 DeSoto

​“I'm on the farm sunup to sundown Monday through Saturday.

Despite financial stress and the dayto-day demands of what we do here, I'm beyond grateful to do what I love and build a viable business in my hometown,” says Bartlett. ​ At the end of the day, all of the hard work does pay back. In creating a regional food system such as Home Place Pastures, Bartlett has generated an investment into the community. Not just for the neighbors of Como but for people across Mississippi and its surrounding areas. The high-quality, grass-fed/finished meat from the farm reaches homes and restaurants all across the state as well as Tennessee and Louisiana. With the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, area residents can order monthly boxes full of delicious treats like breakfast sausage, bacon, and bratwurst, delivered straight from the farm. ​A t t h e H P P Fa r m S t o r e, visitors can go on tours, order fresh butcher selections or enjoy lunch on the outdoor patio. Bartlett also has a growing list of restaurants that buy his products which has been the result of fostering strong relationships with chefs. ​If success is measured by the ability to ensure long-lasting connections then it would seem that Bartlett’s vision is on the right track. The healthy, thriving ecosystem of Home Place Pastures is extending beyond the boundaries of the farm and enriching the world around it. ​“I wanted to farm in a way that added to this rich culture, created employment opportunities, and helped bring in outside attention and dollars from cities back to our rural community,” says Bartlett. “Our events, products, and principles involve promoting our community and showing off the music, food, and talent that Mississippi has to offer.” homeplacepastures.com

Amy Conry Davis works as a photographer, writer, and content creator. She lives and travels full-time in an Airstream, often based in West Point, Miss.

DeSoto 23

exploring art | COONTOWN POTTERY

24 DeSoto

Set in Stone

By Tracy Morin | Photography courtesy of Coontown Pottery

From hand-forming and wheel throwing to kiln firing and glazing, the husband-and-wife duo behind Coontown Pottery creates one-of-a-kind functional stoneware from start to finish. ​ Chad and Anna Brown, owners of Coontown Pottery in Oxford, Miss., admit that they’ve never taken a single pottery class, choosing instead the tougher route: years’ worth of trial, error, and experimentation in a quest to create the perfect pottery. ​“It’s true that we are both self-taught, with no formal instruction,” Chad notes. “That being said, we have read books and studied techniques that were used by Bernard Leach, who is considered to be the father of British studio pottery, along with other ceramic masters.” ​ Still, despite plenty of research along the way, nothing taught the Browns quite like experience. Starting out, both had day jobs — Anna sold insurance, while her husband did construction work, building and remodeling homes. Chad also

engaged in other arts, like woodworking and metalworking, on the side. Still, he was always interested in pottery and its creation, so in 2013, he started dabbling. By 2015, Coontown Pottery was born, but the early days were far from smooth sailing. ​ “The first pieces of pottery that we attempted to make were horrific,” Chad admits with a laugh. “There were times when we would work all day and end up with nothing that would be capable of being sold. We could have easily given up — and we sometimes thought about giving up — but we were so driven to be successful that we dug our heels in and kept trying.” ​ Typically, Chad explains, an intern at a pottery studio would have to study for five years under the instruction of a DeSoto 25

master potter to be considered a potter. But when the Browns first read about the amount of time it would take to earn the label, they initially thought the time frame was an “absurd” estimate. ​ “Eight years later, we can assure you that it takes every bit of five years to learn the techniques to be able to make the pottery: learn the chemistry of the glazes, how to fire a kiln, and all of the maintenance that is required to keep all of your pottery equipment going,” Chad says. “We knew it when our pottery or glazes weren’t that great — but with pottery, you’re always in a state of development.” ​Indeed, a crucial part of the Browns’ learning process involved developing a glaze that best set off their style of pottery, as well as improving the pottery itself. Once they struck upon the correct combination, retailers started showing interest in carrying the Coontown Pottery line (the Browns deal in wholesale, selling to retailers only). ​“What started as a new hobby turned into a full-blown business — so what used to be just for fun is now work!” Chad says. “Fortunately, it has taken off.” ​ Today, shoppers can find Coontown Pottery at Cynthia’s Boutique in Hernando, Mimi’s on Main in Senatobia, Main Street Antiques in Como, Ultimate Gifts in Southaven, and Crossroads Vendor Market in Olive Branch. In Oxford’s town square, Something Southern proudly carries the hometown line, and Chad adds that, though retailers set prices, pieces can be found at every price point, from $24 to $200. ​“We have dinner plates, salad plates, numerous serving bowls, platters to serve an assortment of foods, casserole dishes, lidded dishes, mugs, and tumblers,” Chad says. “We enjoy creating items in numerous artistic mediums, such as oil landscape paintings, woodworking, and metalworking, and we have also dabbled a little in making jewelry. But our best-selling 26 DeSoto

pieces would be our dinner plates, serving pieces, and mugs.” ​Meanwhile, Coontown’s college-town location means that its pieces travel far and wide as a memento handmade in Oxford, purchased by college graduates and visitors alike. ​ “A lot of people inquire about us when they come and visit the Oxford square,” Chad notes. “And, when people go to college here and move away, they want to take with them a piece made in Oxford.” ​ Chad believes that Coontown Pottery stands out due to its handcrafted nature, meaning that no two pieces are exactly alike. Unlike pottery that is duplicated with molds, all of these are hand-formed, so a slightly different shape or look is expected. ​ “Most of our pottery is thrown on the potter’s wheel, which gives each piece its own individuality,” Chad explains.

“Being a potter in the South, we have found that using neutral, earth-tone glaze colors best suits our style of pottery. Each piece is unique, and that separates us.” ​ In fact, the company itself was named after another can’t-be-replicated phenomenon: the beauty of nature in Mississippi. ​ “We named our pottery after Coontown Landing, which is located at Sardis Lake,” Chad says. “It is a beautiful area, with cypress trees and beautiful sunsets. We have spent many hours walking the shoreline looking for arrowheads and enjoying the natural beauty. This area is close to where we make our pottery and gives us inspiration to be creative.” facebook.com/coontownpotteryllc Based in Oxford, Miss., Tracy Morin is an award-winning freelance writer and editor with a passion for covering food, beverage, beauty, and boxing.

DeSoto 27

exploring books | WORLD OF WONDERS

28 DeSoto

Mother Nature, The Greatest Poet

By Elizabeth McDaniel Tettleton Photography courtesy of Caroline Beffa Photography and Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Ole Miss creative writing professor’s latest book has taken the country by storm, winning numerous praises and being named Barnes & Noble 2020 Best Book of the Year.

Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s acclaimed nonfiction work, “World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments,” evokes joy, belonging, and wonderment at a time when Americans need it most. Sweeping nods for the New York Times bestseller, such as Barnes & Noble 2020 Best Book of the Year and numerous starred reviews, “World of Wonders” is what NPR calls “Hands-down one of the most beautiful books of the year.” Cover to close, this book is a work of art and of the heart.

A 2020 Guggenheim Fellow in poetry, Nezhukumatathil has garnered numerous accolades including the Pushcart prize, NEDA fellowships, MAC grants, and the Grisham Writer-inResidence position at the University of Mississippi, which led to her current role as a faculty member in the university’s creative writing program.

Mother nature has always been one of Nezhukumatathil’s greatest sources of happiness and inspiration, but poetic form failed to serve as the right structure to satisfy her dive into writing on the flora and fauna that inhabit her home’s backyard in Oxford, Miss.

“I had questions I couldn’t answer in stanzas,” says Nezhukumatathil. “I didn’t want to be beholden to line breaks.

I wanted paragraphs and long sentences to dig into these questions.”

Nezhukumatathil’s work goes much deeper than your typical, flowery nature writing. She asks prodding questions of

belonging and addresses place, race, and human nature’s need for taking time to be still, observe, and listen to the world. The author hopes her work brings its audience to question who gets to write about the outdoors and how she can get people more curious about other living things on the planet, and perhaps, have them translate that to feeling more tender towards each other.

“I’m fond of saying Mother Nature is the greatest poet — I’m just always trying to take notes,” says Nezhukumatathil.

“But the truth is being outside keeps every part of me in a happier, healthier state. When I’m outside and taking note of what is out there — getting curious, being still enough to let animals come close to me — it’s a way of noticing, which is one of the writer’s greatest tools, being able to notice the things most people don’t see and find fresh ways to describe it.”

“World of Wonders” explores everything from axolotls to cassowary birds. Divided into 30 sections, ranging on topics from catalpa trees to vampire squids, each chapter exquisitely ponders the beauty of its subject alongside a micro-memoir of the author.

“It’s a book that starts with a memory of love and it ends on love too,” explains Nezhukumatathil. “I was very careful to not be too pedantic and directive in this book. I didn’t want to say we all need to recycle and stop using pesticides. I hope that when people read about my joy about these plants and animals, it helps them feel a little more tender to each DeSoto 29

other, and to themselves. And, if they get to know more about birds, like the cassowary, or a cool amphibian called an axolotl, a by-product would be they would naturally want to protect these plants and animals and be well, just kind to each other too.”

Nezhukumatathil hopes that with this most recent book, readers will see that there is room for new voices to write about the outdoors. She also wants her love of nature to expand into the classroom and at home.

“My hope is when my kids see me getting excited about growing our own tomatoes, or finding a surprise burst of blue — an indigo bunting in our yard — that excitement [will be] contagious,” she says. “For all of it, for writing, teaching, being a present parent, my hope is when you demonstrate that wonder as a practice you can feel less alone in this world because you start to see how we are all so connected.”

After finishing her residency at Ole Miss in 2017, Nezhukumatathil and her husband, writer Dustin Parsons, decided to make Oxford their home. They chose the quaint Mississippi town for many reasons.

“I love that we can be outside, I love that the greatest bookstore in the country is at the center of our town, I love that my kids have friends of all kinds of backgrounds, and I love that I’m not the only brown face my kids see on a daily basis,” says Nezhukumatathil, whose mother is from the Philippines and father is from India.

Author autographed copies of “World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments” are available at Square Books in Oxford or at SquareBooks. com.

AimeeNez.net

Based in Oxford, Elizabeth McDaniel Tettleton is a freelance writer and is the co-founder of The Oxford Comma creative writing workshop group. Tettleton works and teaches at Ole Miss and is an MBA student at the University of Mississippi.

30 DeSoto

DeSoto 31

southern roots | AMARYLLIS

Amaryllis Redux

By Amelia Grant Photography courtesy of Flower Roberts, floweralley.org and Joseph Marini, At Home with Joseph

Adaptable amaryllis brings dramatic color to gardens in spring and summer if bulbs are protected during the winter.

Amaryllis was a Greek maiden in love with the dashingly handsome Aleto, who wouldn’t give her the time of day. In order to win his love, she pierced her heart with a golden arrow and visited his cottage daily. After 30 days, the drops of her heart’s blood that dotted the path to his house turned into brilliant red flowers. And that is when Amaryllis won Aleto’s heart.

Today, the amaryllis plant with its dramatic red color wins many hearts. A native of Central and South America, and once hard to find in the United States, the flower is much easier to find among local nurseries.

32 DeSoto

European explorers found the member of the Hippeastrum genus growing wild in meadows south of the U.S. border, bringing the plant to Europe during the 1700s.

Europeans fell in love with the reliable, long-lived bulbs (amaryllis can live for 75 years), and today the U.S. imports over 10 million amaryllis bulbs annually from Holland and South Africa.

Amaryllis naturally flowers in the spring and summer, but many gardeners use the bright red flowers in winter, taking advantage of their tough nature to force the bulbs for holiday decorations. The bulbs are surprisingly adaptable, planted in

decorative containers and used as centerpieces or grown in pots for cut flowers. In either case, the bulbs can be transplanted in the garden once they have flowered over the winter.

To plant indoors, Joseph Marini, host of the lifestyle and home economics podcast “At Home with Joseph,” recommends planting bulbs 6-8 weeks before the expected bloom.

“The bulb can always be forced with a little more heat,” he explains. “It bears mentioning that a cool sunny location will help the Amaryllis grow at a proper rate. Placed in a warm location like next to a radiator could force it to bloom sooner. I typically do two-to-three pottings three-to-four days apart, which allows a great succession of blooms.”

Joseph recommends using a heavy container to compensate for the weight of the large bulb and flower of the Amaryllis.

“I always force my bulbs in some type of medium,” he further advises. “If not soil, then I use a small pea gravel or crushed shell. I do not change the water, but just keep adding fresh water to the container. The bulb should never be in full contact with water (it will rot), so keep enough water in the container to just touch the roots.”

Amaryllis blooms may be cut for stylish arrangements.

Methods vary to improve longevity of an arrangement.

Susie Moffat, a North Carolina gardener and author of the pbmgarden blog, conditions her flowers in tepid water for several hours before arranging the flowers.

“I am pleased with the vase life,” says Moffat.

“Although I waited until the flowers had fully opened before deciding to harvest them for an arrangement, blooms lasted 4-5 days.”

Marini uses the seed-heads of amaryllis from his garden for arrangements and recommends the same treatment.

Other gardeners report cut flowers lasting for weeks if the flowers are cut in bud, then conditioned, and hollow stems filled with water prior to arranging. Use of a floral preservative, then re-cutting the stems, and changing water weekly add to the life of the arrangement.

Tips for Keeping Amaryllis Bulbs Year after Year in Hardiness Zone 7 ​ Allow the Amaryllis bulb to rest and the foliage to die back.

Water sparingly and cut the foliage off and replant in the garden when danger of frost has passed. A sunny location with good drainage is best for USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6 and 7. North Mississippi and Memphis area gardeners are in Zone 7. ​ South of Zone 7, shadier locations with protection from afternoon sun are ideal. Enrich the soil with compost in the planting hole and leave the bulb's shoulders above ground level. Gardeners can safely replant most Amaryllis bulbs, but a blanket of mulch applied in late fall is recommended for winter to insulate the bulbs against heavy frosts. ​ Zone 6 gardeners should treat amaryllis bulbs like dahlias, lifting the bulbs for winter, letting the bulbs dry, and storing them in a cool, frost free location, replanting in spring after danger of frost has passed.

Amelia Grant, a native of Atlanta, Ga., is a freelance writer focused on gardening and food. She shares her gardening adventures at www.theshrubqueen.com.

DeSoto 33

table talk | CULTIVATION HALL

34 DeSoto

What’s for dinner?

Everything!

By Michele D. Baker | Photography courtesy of Cultivation Food Hall

Cultivation Food Hall in Jackson offers everything from kebabs to cookie dough in a stylish, airy space where deliciousness is the norm.

A contemporary twist on the old mall food court, food halls are an emerging trend across America. The appeal for vendors is that they don’t have to invest in a brick-and-mortar location to have a restaurant. The benefit for consumers is a wide variety of healthier and better-tasting quick food options ranging from bruschetta to rice bowls.

Open since January 2019, Mississippi’s only food hall is the centerpiece of Jackson’s The District, a carefully curated collection of boutique restaurants, local businesses, fitness centers, banks, a hotel, and luxury living spaces developed by The District Land Company, LLC.

Cultivation Food Hall is a contemporary open space with clean lines, floor-to-ceiling windows, and understated,

yet elegant fixtures designed by Jackson-based Mary Saunders Ferris, a veteran in the area of luxury hospitality. The hall is essentially a large, airy space where the startup risks are shared and the rewards can be delicious.

“A food hall is a restaurant incubator for small or upand-coming brands trying to establish themselves,” says Nick Secoy, general manager. “It’s a place for Emeril [Lagasse] or Mario [Batali]’s sous chef or a line cook trying out a new concept.”

Restauranteurs use the highly creative, low-risk format as a growing and learning tool. Short-term leases and flexible rent and profit-sharing plans allow for a wide range of food entrepreneurs to make a successful entry into the notoriously DeSoto 35

difficult restaurant business. Six of the eight food stall spaces are run by independent restauranteurs; the remaining two stalls and the speak-easy style bar are run by Cultivation Hall until they can be rented out to new tenants.

All restaurants share a large kitchen and refrigeration space; prep areas; dumpster service; plates, glasses, utensils and barware; and point-of-sale service to take payments. Chefs and staff alike team up to wash dishes, bus tables, and sweep the floors. The Hall provides the lighting, music, and entertainment in the “living room,” a common space stocked with comfy couches and tables.

One of the most established tenants is Rachel Phuong, owner of Poké Stop, a new Asian street food concept.

The rice bowls are similar to deconstructed sushi; gluten-free and vegetarian options are also popular. (Phuong also owns 36 DeSoto

Stuffed Asian Street Food.) “I love the food hall culture and the diversity of it all,” she says.

General manager Secoy compares it to a small community. “It’s like being in a rural area where people are small-town friendly,” he says. “It’s comfortable, creative, and constantly evolving as chefs and their restaurants move in and out of the space, cultivating fresh ideas around food and beverage.”​ The passion of the restaurant teams is infectious, and their inventive and delectable efforts are being noticed. TheManual. com — a national men’s style, food, and culture website — named Cultivation Food Hall one of its 10 destination-worthy food halls throughout the United States. Forbes gave the hall a shoutout, and it was named Best New Restaurant by Jackson Free Press. Food & Wine even mentioned the hall in an article titled “The Best Coffee in Every State 2019.”

I n e a r l y 2 0 2 0 , C OV I D - 1 9 precautions forced the food hall to close for two months. “It really affected our business, and we had to look at staffing,” says Secoy.

“We knew it was the right thing to do to make a sacrifice for the greater good.”

Fortunately, the restaurants in the hall were able to adapt quickly by pulling together to implement safety and social distancing procedures, and the hall is once again open. “We were able to pivot and rebuild our core team,” he continues.

“We can see the top of the hill and there’s momentum.”

In February 2021 the final food stall was filled with Kei Kebabs, the brainchild of a former Gold Coast bartender trying his hand at Persian fare. The support of the group and entrepreneurial spirit of these budding chefs are just two of the reasons for Cultivation Food Hall’s continued success despite social distancing rules, supply-chain shortages, and all the other challenges faced by budding restauranteurs.

“After 20 years in the restaurant business, it’s so enjoyable to watch these chefs succeed,” says Secoy. “They bring their passion, and we do the rest.” cultivationfoodhall.com Michele D. Baker is a freelance travel writer and blues music lover in Jackson, Miss. She has three cats, too many books, and could eat steamed pork bao every day.

DeSoto 37

exploring destinations | VICKSBURG, MISS.

Vicksburg National Military Park is the site of the Civil War battle that occurred there in 1863.

38 DeSoto

Sunsets are spectacular from 10 South Rooftop Bar & Grill.

Filled with History & Fun

By Cheré Coen | Photography courtesy of Cheré Coen and Vickburg Tourism

A trip to Vicksburg is a trip back in time with its Civil War military park, historic bed-and- breakfast inns, and downtown heritage trails.

Vicksburg rests high on bluffs overlooking the Yazoo and Mississippi Rivers, an eagle’s perch overlooking the flatlands of Louisiana that stretch to the west. Its location was the perfect site for a city surrounded by prosperous cotton fields, where the crop’s fortunes poured into Vicksburg as the product moved downriver to New Orleans and into the world.

“Vicksburg was a cosmopolitan place,” says Andrew Miller, park ranger at Vicksburg National Military Park, site of the Civil War battle that occurred there in 1863.

The city’s wealth is one reason Vicksburg voted against secession from the United States just before the Civil War, Miller explains. And yet, the town would find itself in the middle of a decisive battle, one whose outcome removed Vicksburg’s position as one of the richest towns in America.

In spring of 1863, Union forces had taken over

New Orleans and many sites along the Mississippi River, but Confederates held Vicksburg in Mississippi and Port Hudson in Louisiana. U.S. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant knew the key to dividing the South was control of the Mississippi.

“It’s basically the lifeline of the United States — both north and south,” Miller says.

Grant surrounded Vicksburg and performed an assault on the Confederate forces — and the town with residual warfare — from March 29 to July 4, 1863, when Vicksburg finally surrendered. Port Hudson soon followed suit and the river fell to Union hands.

Today, both the town and massive military park offer visitors a trip back in time, the town with its ancient homes and buildings arranged in convenient heritage walking trails and the park with its vistas, ravines, and memorials, established in DeSoto 39

The Illinois Memorial is one of many in the Vicksburg National Military Park honoring those who fought at Vicksburg.

Historic Cedar Grove Cemetery contains both civilian and military leaders of Vicksburg.

1899 to commemorate the battle and its veterans as well as for “peaceful reflection,” Miller says.

Thousands visit the Vicksburg National Military Park each year for the Civil War history, to offer their respect to the fallen — including the largest number of African American troops in a national cemetery — and to understand the power of reconciliation. One of the main goals of the park’s establishment was to offer a place for Civil War veterans to come together in remembrance and peace, Miller says, including being the site of the Great Peace Jubilee of 1917.

When visitors enter the park, they are greeted by a memorial to that event.

Miller enthusiastically shares military history of the park, but those tales include civilian experiences, odd tales of animals in battle, and the diverse backgrounds of all involved.

He also encourages visitors to explore the park for its natural elements.

“It really is an amazing place,” Miller says. “There are so many stories to explore.”​

Walking Through Downtown

The Vicksburg Heritage Walking Trails are a great way to see the historic city. Five routes ranging from 1.5-to-3 miles run throughout the downtown area with the Captain Speeds Route extending southward to Vicksburg’s first neighborhood.

Maps are available from the Vicksburg Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Spots along these trails include the Old Court House Museum with its historic displays, the Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum showcasing how the iconic soft drink was first bottled in Vicksburg, the Old Depot Museum that contains a diorama of the battlefield, and the Catfish Row Art Park, containing regional art pieces and a play area for children, plus the 32-panel Vicksburg Riverfront Murals.

The Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum features a full-size river tugboat and displays of life along the river, including how the Mississippi River changed course in the late 19th century, abandoning the town, and how the Yazoo River Diversion Canal was built to accommodate this loss.

Vicksburg is also home to numerous historic churches and homes. Christ Episcopal Church adorned with Tiffany windows, for example, dates back to 1839 but still conducts weekly services. One of the oldest homes in Vicksburg, the McNutt House, once belonged to Mississippi Gov. Alexander McNutt.

40 DeSoto

Sleeping with Ghosts

Duff Green arrived to Vicksburg in 1847 hoping to make his fortune as a broker in cotton. He couldn’t have picked a better time, no pun intended. The railroad was coming through, the river provided access, and the cotton gin changed how cotton was processed.

“Duff Green came to Vicksburg at a very profitable time,” says Tracey Glomstad, a tour guide at Duff Green Mansion. “He made a tremendous amount of money.”

Green married a judge’s daughter, who gave the

couple an entire city block as a wedding gift. Green used most of the land to build a palatial mansion with three floors, including a dramatic staircase where visitors would make a grand entrance to his balls.

Visitors may stay at Green’s house and enjoy an equally impressive breakfast.

History abounds throughout the bed and breakfast, including a cannonball still lodged in the ceiling in one bedroom. Confederate president Jefferson Davis visited the Greens and the bottom floor was once used a hospital during the 1863 Siege.

Some visitors claim a Confederate soldier roams the hallways and others have spotted Annie, the Greens daughter who died young.

“She’s thought to be the spirit that lingers on the stairs,” owner Harley Caldwell says of Annie.

The 1830 Anchuca Historic Mansion and Inn, one block west, offers history and a few ghosts for those who spend the night, while serving up meals to all in its garden room restaurant. The home was once owned by Davis’s brother, Joseph Emory Davis, and when Jefferson Davis was released from prison following the Civil War, he gave his last public speech from Anchuca’s balcony.

History Aside

It’s not all history in Vicksburg.

Visitors may also enjoy the casinos, shopping, day spas, and dining options that range from breweries to Delta tamales.

Whatever your pleasure, end the day at 10 South Rooftop Bar & Grill and enjoy a signature cocktail, tangy pretzels with a honey-mustard sauce, and one of the best Mississippi River sunsets in the nation. nps.gov/vick/index.htm visitvicksburg.com

Some of DeSoto Co-editor Cheré Coen’s ancestors called Vicksburg home. They rest in Cedar Grove Cemetery, one of the most fascinating cemeteries in the South.

DeSoto 41

on the road again | DAUPHIN ISLAND, ALABAMA

, d n a l s I n i h p u a D labama

A

8:00 – The island’s Light House Bakery starts the day with the savory scents of baking cinnamon rolls and fresh ground coffee. Try a bacon wrap or jam on a hot-from-the-oven croissant.

8:30 – Grab your binoculars for a stroll through the Audubon Bird Sanctuary. Look for flashes of color in the trees and listen to a morning symphony of birds.

9:30 – Head to Bellingrath Gardens and Home where spring hues explode in 250,000 azaleas.

Walk past the Great Lawn to the Mirror Lake, where the blaze of color amplifies. Splashy tulips and petunias add to the palette.

11:30 – Enter the 1930s at the home of Walter and Bessie Bellingrath. See treasures like the famed “Prohibition” porcelain and the exquisite ironwork that was salvaged from a Mobile hotel.

12:30 – Return to the town of Dauphin Island, where you can munch on a shrimp basket at Pirate’s Bar and Grill. Eat outside and watch the parasailers circle the inlet.

2:00 – “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!” Explore historic Fort Gaines, where the famous words were spoken, which played a part in the historic battle of Mobile Bay during the American Civil War. 3:00 – Enjoy beach time and watch for the dolphins who swim by.

4:30 – Walk the spooky Indian Shell Mound Park on the island’s northern shore. The live oaks dripping with Spanish moss grow languidly over the shells dating back to 1100-1300 AD. Listen as the wind whispers.

5:30 – The Seafood Sampler at Islanders Restaurant and Bar satisfies saltwater cravings, and for those who love New Orleans flavor, try the Island seafood gumbo, followed by the getthe-whole slice bread pudding with praline sauce.

6:30 – Time for sunset drinks at the Pelican Pub. After the sun disappears on the horizon, try your luck at the dart board.

42 DeSoto

To plan your visit: dauphinisland.org bellingrath.org townofdauphinisland.org/visitors/ disl.edu audubon.org/important-bird-areas/ dauphin-island piratesbarandgrill.com

EVENTS

March 1-April 30 Spring Bird Migration March 6 Beers and Blooms, a craft beer festival at Bellingrath Gardens and Home March 11 Beach, Dune, and Maritime Excursion with the Dauphin Island Sea Lab to learn more about coastal animals and plants used by Indians and colonists.

March 27 Hop on down to Bellingrath Gardens for some “eggstra” special Easter fun! The annual Easter Egg Hunt on the Great Lawn is a family tradition.

Thousands of Easter eggs will decorate the luxurious lawn for children to scurry and collect.

See the website for times for the different age groups. www.bellingrath.org/experiences/events/ easter-egg-hunt-2021

Compiled by Verna Gates Photography Credits: Dauphin Island photos courtesy of Alabama Tourism and photographer Chris Granger; Bellingrath Gardens Bellingrath Gardens

DeSoto 43

44 DeSoto

greater goods | IN THE GARDEN

In the Garden

1

2

5

6

3

7

4

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

1. Big Green Egg, Complete Home Center, 32 E Commerce St, Hernando, MS 2. Bird baths, Southern Roots Nursery & Garden Center, 2971 Holly Springs Rd, Hernando, MS 3. Bird seed house and wreaths, Mimi’s on Main, 432 Main Street, Senatobia, MS 4. Wind chimes, Keep it Casual, 106 S Industrial Rd, Tupelo, MS 5. Fountain, Bon Von, 230 W Center Street, Hernando, MS 6. Fountain, Quality Landscape and Garden Center, 5845 Goodman Rd, Olive Branch, MS 7. Garden flags and stepping stones, Bon Von, 230 W Center Street, Hernando, MS 8. Bud vases, Cynthia’s Boutique, 2529 Caffey Street, Hernando, MS 9. Herb pots, seeds and signs , Cynthia’s Boutique, 2529 Caffey Street, Hernando, MS 10. Bird Feeders, Wild Birds Unlimited, 5847 Getwell Rd, Southaven, MS 11. Pot heads planters, Retro Rooster, 125 S Market St, Holly Springs, MS 12. Summer Classics Outdoor Dining set, Keep It Casual, 106 S Industrial Rd, Tupelo, MS 13. Wind Chimes, Wild Birds Unlimited, 5847 Getwell Rd, Southaven, MS 14. Windmills, Commerce Street Market, 74 W Commerce St, Hernando, MS

DeSoto 45

THE ART OF GROWING

onsai B

By Tracy Morin Photography courtesy of Brussel’s Bonsai Nursery

44 46 DeSoto

As a de-stressing hobby, cultivating bonsai trees is more popular than ever — but the success of these potted miniatures hinges on proper care.

DeSoto 47

48 DeSoto

​ At Brussel’s Bonsai Nursery in Olive Branch, Miss., owner Brussel Martin is accustomed to doling out a slew of advice to bonsai tree owners — brand-new and experienced hobbyists alike. With more than 150,000 trees on the property at any given time and 10,000 orders per week shipping out all over the country, Brussel’s houses the largest bonsai nursery in the United States. ​“We have a catalog and website with every conceivable size and price range of bonsai, from $30 to $30,000,” Martin explains. “We even provide the trees for the Netflix television show ‘Cobra Kai.’ And since the pandemic, our sales have more than doubled.” ​ Martin’s own interest in the art of bonsai kicked off in the 1960s, when his architect father brought back a tree from California. By his teen years, he was growing his own trees and even importing others from Japan, the country where the art was refined to its pinnacle. Now with decades of experience, Martin is a true authority on the art of bonsai — and he shares several key lessons for beginners. ​First things first: Contrary to popular belief, bonsai (pronounced “boneseye”) does not refer to a particular type of tree; there are many varieties, which may be suitable for indoor or outdoor placement.

Instead, bonsai refers to trees that are grown in a pot. They are then subjected to the techniques associated with this art form, such as trimming, pinching, and wiring. ​“You can technically bonsai everything, but typically you pick trees with small leaves or short needles,” Martin says.

“You create them. They look like a big tree, but in miniature form, and you accomplish that through the techniques. It’s a great hobby for people who love the connection to nature, horticulture, and art.” ​For first-timers, Martin recommends examining your lifestyle and learning the basics of horticulture. He suggests a durable, insect-resistant variety to start with, one that needs little trimming and can survive a small amount of neglect.

However, he adds, these trees still need regular maintenance — they can’t be left for days without water when the owner is on vacation, for example. Think of them like a pet that needs proper attention and care. ​“With beginner trees, your first goal is simply to keep it alive,” Martin says.

DeSoto 49

“Then you’ll feel more comfortable adding to your collection and working with techniques like trimming and wiring. Our trees come with a proper care sheet that includes instructions on watering, placement, and fertilizing, but there are also bonsai books, clubs, and websites that are full of information.” ​ Bonsai trees took off in Asia, especially Japan, out of necessity, as compact spaces and postage stamp-size yards weren’t suitable for growing larger trees. These miniatures allow their owners to enjoy nature in a dramatic and interesting way while taking up less room. Today, they are also very popular in Europe. And, though Americans tend to have larger yards, bonsai is growing in the States as well, especially during the last year, as people spent so much more time at home. ​ And there’s another reason that pandemic-related life changes might attract more Americans to the art of bonsai: The hobby is known for its stress-relieving properties. ​ “Traditionally, most people growing bonsai trees in Japan were men, as it was considered a relaxing activity, and a big percentage in America are people with high-stress jobs, like doctors and lawyers,” Martin explains. “A lot of people end up with three or four trees, because it’s about as easy to take care of a half-dozen as it is to care for one. Some people may have up to 20 trees.” ​ When purchasing a tree, it must be paired with the perfect pot. For example, a 16-inch tree can flourish in a 10inch pot, a size that allows enough room and soil to keep it healthy and growing. The pot also adds to the esthetics; Martin compares pot-and-tree pairing to picking the right frame for 50 DeSoto

a picture. Then, every three to five years, the tree must be repotted (possibly in a bigger pot, if it has outgrown its current home). ​ Bonsai enthusiasts can also choose from a wide variety of trees. For beginners, Martin often suggests indoor types like the Hawaiian umbrella, jade, or ponytail palm, or a few outdoor varieties that are less hands-on. And, even with indoor varieties, Martin notes that moving them outside in warmertemperature seasons is best, as they benefit from direct sunlight. ​Indeed, another benefit is that bonsai trees are portable; even apartment or condo dwellers can usually fit them inside or outside, and move them around to create the desired decor. Meanwhile, Mississippi’s mild winters mean that special cold-weather care is minimal. But owners will have to learn the bonsai maintenance skills, such as trimming and wiring. ​ “As the trees put new branches out, almost all of them need to be trimmed in the growing season,” Martin explains.

“Wiring is for positioning a limb. You put a wire on a branch and bend it into place, then leave it for six months. That makes a scar in the branch so that the tree stays in that design. That’s how you refine the tree.”

Ultimately, owners need time and patience to develop their bonsai trees. They also need to establish a routine for care and should be willing to achieve a basic understanding of the art form. Still, Martin stresses that the hobby is not shrouded in mystique — or terribly complicated. ​ “My thumb is not green; it’s just a maintenance effort,” Martin says. “You don’t have to spend a lot of money,

but there is a lot of choice. We have trees in nursery pots and finished pots, young and old trees.” ​ And, if you do end up becoming a passionate bonsai buff, you’re in the right place. Each year on Memorial Day weekend, Brussel’s Bonsai hosts a three-day bonsai extravaganza called Rendezvous, which attracts hundreds of enthusiasts from around the world. The event allows attendees to enjoy education, food, and fun on Brussel’s sprawling Olive Branch grounds. ​“Bonsai is a cool, interesting hobby — you get to enjoy nature while relaxing and getting some good stress relief,” Martin concludes. “If it matches your lifestyle, it’s a nice hobby to do at home. It’s not for everybody, but the people it is for, they really enjoy it.” brusselsbonsai.com

Based in Oxford, Miss., Tracy Morin is an award-winning freelance writer and editor with a passion for covering food, beverage, beauty, and boxing.

DeSoto 51

lovely

Lavender A Garden Winner

By Pamela A. Keene Photography courtesy of Beagle Ridge Herb Farm/Ellen Reynolds Photography for Sidebar: Cheré Coen

Lavender makes for the perfect accent to beauty products and sachets plus enhances meals — and now new varieties allow it to be grown well in the South

50 52 DeSoto

DeSoto 53

54 DeSoto

Ah, the sweet smell of lavender.

For centuries it’s been associated with love, medicinal benefits, serenity, and grace.

Connected with cultures in ancient Egypt and early Christianity to the Victorian age and today’s holistic health practices, lavender’s now making its way into the culinary scene in desserts, meat dishes, and breads. ​“Lavender’s versatility amazes me, even after 20 years of growing it, teaching about it, and creating products that use it,” says Ellen Reynolds, owner of Beagle Ridge Herb Farm near Wytheville, Va. “It can be whatever you need it to be and I love teaching about it.” ​Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Beagle Ridge Herb Farm features a plethora of herbs, but the stars of the show are the 800 lavender plants — 14 varieties — grown on approximately one acre. With a bloom season of four-to-six weeks, the plants work overtime as the main ingredient for the soaps, lotions, essential oils, and sachets, plus food-grade blossoms for seasoning.

Reynolds admits that for most of her life, she didn’t know much about lavender. A trip to the Pacific Northwest revealed the plant’s true beauty. ​“Until then, I only knew about what I now call ‘fake lavender,’ the kind that smelled like old Aunt Maude, rather musty and heavy,” she says. “On that trip, I saw my first lavender field and smelled the real thing. We then began planting it and realized how versatile it is. There are so many cultivars grown for specific purposes and it’s so beautiful and fragrant.”

Getting to Know Lavender

A long-time gardener, Reynolds decided 20 years ago to create a garden oasis and herb farm on her 210-acre property, a former private hunting preserve.

“We cleared less than 10 acres and left the rest wooded, in keeping with my vision to create a retreat for people to come and enjoy all that the Blue Ridge Mountains have to offer,” she says. “We began teaching classes and offering retreats for groups.” ​ She planted formal herb and flower gardens, built an education/event center, and a walk-through butterfly house.

The property also has a 3.5-mile hiking trail.

As time progressed, she focused on lavender, growing for wholesalers and retailers, plus offering classes, events, and a place for DeSoto 55

weddings. In the past 20 years, visitors from all 50 states and 34 foreign countries have visited the farm for tours or classes. ​About seven years ago, Reynolds planted a new cultivar of lavender, Phenomenal, hybridized by Pennsylvania grower Lloyd Traven at Peace Tree Farm. In 2020, Sensational, an additional new cultivar from Peace Tree, was trialed at the farm. ​ “We have many visitors who come when the plants are in full blossom for our you-pick season in June and July, but throughout the year, we teach classes at our Lavender Academy,” she says. “Since we started our academy three years ago, growers from as far away as Wisconsin have come to learn how to grow lavender.”

Classes cover how to grow various varieties, harvesting, pruning, and hands-on work in the garden, as well as demonstrations for making lotions, bars, and personal-care products.

Growing for the home garden

With so many varieties to choose from, growing lavender can be a trial-and-error undertaking. A little research before putting a single plant in the ground will make things simpler. ​ “The optimal place to purchase the best varieties for your area is to visit a local lavender farm,” Reynolds says.

“Not only will you be able to purchase the type of plants most suited for your climate and soil conditions, you can learn the particular tricks for being successful with growing lavender in your own home landscape.” ​ For instance, Munstead lavender does not do well in humid conditions. Hidcote, with strongly fragrant blooms, is good for dried preservation. Phenomenal variety stays green in warmer climates and can do well in humid areas. ​“Although not a culinary cultivar, for my pick, you can’t go wrong with Grosso lavender,” she says. “It’s fast growing, considered the work horse of the industry due to essential oil production. It also produces fabulous blooms and stems for lavender bunches. Phenomenal is also a good choice.” ​Lavender is a perennial that with proper care will come back with plenty of blooms year after year.

“Annual pruning in the late winter or early spring will reward home growers with many more fragrant blossoms, produce a healthier plant, and increase the plants’ longevity,” Reynolds says. “One of my favorite things to do is cut the blooms with long stems, tie them in bunches, hang them upside down and let them dry. Then you can hang them in your kitchen, your laundry room or closet to enjoy their wonderful scent all year.” beagleridge.org

Atlanta-based journalist Pamela A. Keene is an avid gardener who sticks to more traditional fare, such as home-grown heirloom tomatoes and blueberries. This summer, she harvested more than 100 pounds of blueberries from her dozen plants.

Jason Leabo

56 DeSoto

Seeing the Blessings: Lavender Farm Becomes Family’s Calling

Jason Leabo found his calling as a Florida farmer when he discovered a new lavender hybrid that handles hot and humid growing conditions. For nearly eight years of trying to farm, he was hampered by Mother Nature, from crop-eating insects to Hurricane Michael. ​ In 2019, his Southern Grace Lavender Farm was recognized by the Florida Department of Agriculture as the state’s first lavender farm. ​ Frankly, Leabo never expected to be a farmer. As a U.S. Air Force combat veteran, and then a senior mechanic serving in the Army Reserve, he had settled into life in Florida’s Panhandle with his wife, Kari. However, in 2013 when she inherited 3.3 acres of land near Panama City, they decided to give farming a try. ​ "It took three years to clear the land of pine trees so we could grow our own produce to sell, then we tried peach farming,” he says.

“The insects took over. The same happened with other produce we attempted to grow." ​ He continued to research possible crops when he learned about Phenomenal, a recently developed lavender variety bred to flourish in high humidity conditions.

“In 2018, we purchased 1,240 plants for a quarter-acre of the land and began planting,” he says. “Then Hurricane Michael struck.” The family lost everything — their other crops, their outbuildings and chicken coops — everything except their home and the lavender plants. ​ Leabo’s perseverance took hold. ​Today, Southern Grace Lavender Farm in Southport produces, as Jason puts it, “all things lavender,” from hand and body lotions and bath bombs to teas and essential oils. They sell their products at local farmers markets and also maintain an online store. ​ “You know, it took us a while to find our calling as farmers, and lavender has been the key,” he says. “As I look back I see so many affirmations in my life through all the obstacles, and in each one there are miracles and blessings.” southerngracelavenderfarm.com

DeSoto 57

PETALS FROM THE PAST: Planting, Growing, Educating

By Connie Pearson Photography courtesy of Petals from the Past Garden and Resource Center

56 58 DeSoto

Beth Roberts and Corey Powell

If you have gardening questions, Petals from the Past has the answers.

Educating gardeners is a top priority for this family of horticulturists.

DeSoto 59

Front garden

Learning about peaches with Dr. Powell

60 DeSoto

Jason Powell, co-owner of Petals from the Past Garden and Resource Center in Jemison, Ala., proudly declares that his wife Shelley can “identify a plant at 55 mph.” He believes she’s the most knowledgeable plants person he has ever met. That is making quite a statement since he and Shelley have graduate degrees in horticulture from Texas A&M, and his dad, Arlie Powell, has a doctorate in horticulture from the University of Florida and retired as Professor Emeritus from Auburn University.

All those degrees add up to an impressive wealth of knowledge merging to serve the customers who find their garden and resource center in this Central Alabama town south of Birmingham on Interstate 65. Two generations of Powells – including Jason’s mother, Gwen – have decades of gardening experience.

The entire family strives to provide customers with quality plants, along with the knowledge and tools they need to make those plants flourish.

“We want our gardeners to grow the plants and be successful,” says Gwen Powell. “Then, as they learn, we hope to see them venture into other plants, and share what they’ve learned with their friends.”

Judging by the full parking lot and bustling business witnessed during a midJanuary visit, the Powells are succeeding in their number one mission of educating gardeners. Three other things were also evident: Petals from the Past has a solid reputation, folks drive from miles around even in the winter, and there’s a heightened interest in home gardening since the pandemic began.

In addition to gladly answering one-on-one questions from customers, Petals from the Past offers an array of onsite workshops as well as an online resource called “Garden Gossip.” A “Kids in the Garden” series is held monthly with such fun topics as creating a worm farm and making plant containers out of recycled materials.

Professor Powell is a fruit specialist, who is scheduled to offer a March workshop on the care and maintenance of citrus plants such as satsuma oranges, Meyer lemons, limes, and kumquats. In addition to his informative workshops, the retired educator is working on patents for several of his own developed plant varieties.

The company’s website lists future workshops and includes a form for making a DeSoto 61

Dr. Powell with student workers

reservation. A 100-seat education facility is located on the property, but with pandemic restrictions, the number of attendees is now limited to less than 50. Chairs are spaced six feet apart, and everyone is required to wear a mask.

Coupled with its commitment to education, Petals from the Past also specializes in heirloom plants, offering rare, heirloom, and native plants to its customers. Jason Powell decided to focus on heirloom plants because of the influence of Bill Welch, his professor and mentor at Texas A&M. Along with the formal training he received in Welch’s classes, Powell was also invited to work with him in a cottage garden Welch owned.

“The primary reason to use the plants our grandmothers grew is for their disease resistance, drought tolerance, and just general vigor,” the younger Powell says.

“In addition to these characteristics, we often find fragrance particularly in the old garden roses.”

In terms of rare plants, Powell believes the Alabama Croton (Croton Alabamensis) is perhaps the rarest in their nursery. The Croton is native to the area and not difficult to grow, since it is tolerant to a wide range of soil pH levels and sunto-partial shade, but it is somewhat difficult to propagate.

The most popular categories of plants from this nursery are perennials, fruit plants, and antique roses. They strive to offer plants that are not found in large, retail stores. The Powells do not offer off-site design services but regularly assist gardeners with design suggestions when they visit. The gardens may also be booked for weddings and receptions.

When asked his thoughts about organic gardening or the use of pesticides, Powell said that the gardening philosophy practiced at Petals from the Past is known as Best Management Practices.

“We choose tough varieties of plants suitable for our area, prepare the soil prior to planting, plant at the best time of year, and monitor for pest problems, Jason Powell says. “Then, if we encounter pests in large enough numbers to do damage, we use pesticides that are organic in nature first, if available, and use conventional pesticides if organic ones are not sufficient to correct the issue.”

Produce and plants resulting from these methods are sold off-site at Pepper Place Farmers Market in Birmingham, and deliveries are made to Birmingham’s top restaurants, including Bottega, Chez Fon Fon, Ovenbird, Hot and Hot Fish Club, Brick and Tin, and The Anvil Pub. 62 DeSoto

Gwen Powell makes the jams and preserves offered in the gift shop. Since her husband, Arlie, is a whiz with fruits, she wants the taste of those fruits to be the primary focus. She has perfected recipes that elevate the flavors of the fruits by reducing the amount of sugar. Other offerings in the shop include a large selection of seeds, garden tools and garden-themed gifts.

The city of Jemison has turned out to be a great location, but the journey of starting from scratch on this Chilton County plot of land with its acidic red clay soil to the present was a circuitous one.

Jason Powell often traveled the area with his dad when he was home from college in the summers. At that time, his dad was the Extension Fruit Specialist in the College of Agriculture at Auburn. They met with a lot of peach growers, including Marvin Durbin of Durbin Farms, and his production manager, Steve Wilson.

As Powell was finishing grad school in Texas, Wilson learned of his desire to move back to Alabama and start a nursery. He agreed to sell some land and help him get started in exchange for Powell’s help in diversifying his own farm market.

The younger Powells opened in 1994 on land that Durbin and Wilson once used as a plum orchard. They started literally from the ground up and are currently using 17 of the 45 acres available for development.

Plans for the immediate future include adding a retail greenhouse and constructing a pavilion to host school children who visit to experience an outdoor classroom.

The nursery also provides a mail order component, and the catalog of available plants can be found on the website.

The center is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday, but they are closed on Monday, which is considered Shipping Day. They prefer not to ship anything larger than a one-gallon pot.

Whether you visit Petals from the Past in-person or online, the friendly, knowledgeable staff will inspire you to dig in the soil of your own backyard. petalsfromthepast.com Connie Pearson is a freelance travel writer and blogger in Hartselle, Alabama. She is a professional musician, a retired missionary, and the proud grandmother of 15. Her blog is ThereGoesConnie.com.

DeSoto 63

homegrown |

TRUST STONE

High-style containers

By Pamela A. Keene | Photography courtesy of Cindy Bray/Trust Stone Collection

Decorative and functional cast stone containers are the jewels in landscape architect Cindy Bray’s designs.

As a landscape architect, Cindy Bray often uses containers in her designs. ​“They’re like the finishing touches for a project, the punctuation marks that offer the right amount of texture and color in spaces where installing plants or shrubs isn’t practical,” says Bray, owner of Trust Stone Collection. “When I couldn’t find the designs and sizes I was after, I decided to craft them myself. That’s how Trust Stone was born.” ​The cast stone containers are made of concrete and crafted inside an underground cave near Louisville, Ky. ​“Mixing and pouring the concrete into the rubber molds inside the cave gives us a consistent product that will cure properly in about 24 hours,” she says. “The environment there maintains a constant temperature and stable humidity that makes them strong and durable.” ​ Not only are Trust Stone containers durable, they are also stylish. Eight custom colors — including limestone, 64 DeSoto

charcoal gray, light gray, green, terra cotta, and bright white — are available. The unusual names of each style of the oversized planters reflect some aspect of Bray’s life. ​ “Growing up on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania, I participated in 4-H from the time I was 8 years old, showing cows at the organization’s events,” she says. “Not only did it teach me confidence, but the scholarships and prize money I received through 4-H also helped me pay my way through college. As a tribute to those days, I named my first container design after the first cow I owned. Her name was Cherri.” ​The Cherri design is a tall, tapered container, shaped much like a milk bucket. It is narrow at the bottom and flared at the top. The Nicole is named for her favorite calf. Its classic fluted shape is an elegant addition to the landscape. The Millie, a square shape with a lip at the top and along the bottom, is named for a calf that was born on a friend’s dairy farm recently. ​Bray graduated with a double major —– landscape

architecture and landscape construction — from Penn State.

After graduation, she moved to Atlanta and worked for several landscape architecture firms. Several years ago, she started her own business, Floralis LLC, in Covington, about an hour east of Atlanta. ​ As she began working on new residential construction and renovations, she saw the need for customized containers.

“Most of the designs available in the marketplace just didn’t reflect what I wanted,” she says. “Putting pencil to paper, I began sketching designs that captured my vision.” ​Once she settled on the basic forms, she converted them to computer-aided designs to standardize the dimensions and specifications. Then she carved large blocks of Styrofoam into the shapes she envisioned, shaping and sanding them to ensure that the finished products retained smooth details. From the forms, she created rubber molds to cast the planters. ​Whether she’s working with new residential construction or a home renovation, the project often becomes a work in progress, a partnership and collaboration with builders and clients. ​“The process of creating and completing a project as a landscape architect is complex,” she says. “Many projects start with meeting a builder to determine how to position a home on the property, with consideration for topography, water flow, natural elements, and the vision of the builder and the clients.

There are many details to be considered at various points of construction. A project can easily take from 18 to 24 months to complete.”

A project can involve removing large quantities of dirt,

removing or planting large trees, terracing the landscape, and styling various gardens and other features. Outdoor kitchens, swimming pools, fountains, and water features all fall under her expertise. She also creates cutting gardens. Patio areas with built-in seating and fireplaces and even garden cottages make a property more versatile.

In the past few decades, with the trends of using outdoor spaces for entertaining, family gatherings, and peaceful places to enjoy quiet evenings, the work of a landscape architect has become even more important. ​“Think of the architect as designing the structure and the landscape architect as creating everything outside the box,” she says. “It is crucial that the designs of the home and the landscape work together.” ​One of the most essential considerations in landscape design is integrating the home with its surroundings. Adding containers on porches, at the entrance to driveways, and as accents to staircases can make a big difference for a fully assimilated project. ​“For me, placing containers at the end of a project is like putting on your jewelry before you go out,” she says. “It’s the final touch for a project that can be months in the making.” truststone.net

Atlanta-based journalist Pamela A. Keene writes about gardening, travel, and personalities. She is also a photojournalist.

DeSoto 65

southern gentleman | CRAWFISH BOILS

66 DeSoto

Celebrate Spring Cajun Style

By Jason Frye Photography courtesy of Mindy Bianca PR and Lindsey Janies Photography

Don’t let the cooking of crawfish intimidate you. Learn how to boil, serve, and peel these spring creatures for a delightful and delicious community event.

Southern Gents, I have a confession. I was 20 years old the first time I saw someone properly eat a crawfish. I was 21 when I tried one for the first time. ​ Yes, that’s a late start, tragically late if you’re Cajun, but I was raised in West Virginia and we used to catch crawdads — that’s what we called them — in the creek, keep them in a jar for a little while, and put them back. ​It never occurred to me to eat one. Until I joined the Boy Scouts where I saw a kid chomp down a whole crawdad (claws last, if you were wondering) for what looked like $20 in singles. He ate well at the camp concession that week and I refused to eat a crawfish for nine years.

​ Was I ever wrong to wait? I let that first impression throw some shade onto the very idea of crawfish and missed a decade of good eatin’ as a result. Let’s make sure you get it right. Whether you’re throwing your first or gathering up a few folks for the initial crawfish boil of the season, here’s a primer on celebrating spring Cajun-style. ​ For a crawfish boil, you don’t go catch them in the creek like I did as a kid, you raise them — although some still pull the creatures from bayous and ponds. Most often crawfish proliferate in farmers’ shallow rice paddies in the off-season.

Wire traps resembling crab traps are baited and dropped in, and the hungry little mudbugs (aka crawfish) come for a bite DeSoto 67

and get trapped. They’re then bagged up in mesh or burlap bags and sold by the pound. ​ When it’s time to get cooking, you must clean your crawfish first — they don’t call them mudbugs for nothing — by adding fresh water and a couple of pounds of salt, then changing your water until it’s clear, or you can rinse them with a gentle flow of water until the water runs clear. This cleansing can take up to 30 minutes or more depending on your crawfish. ​While your crawfish are rinsing, prepare the boil and, if possible, a soaking pot. For both pots, fill them half to two-thirds full of water and add your seasoning: Louisiana or Zatarain’s Crawfish, Shrimp and Crab Boil; a stick of butter; juice from one lemon and the squeezed lemon; white vinegar; salt. Bring your pot to the boil and turn it off to let the ingredients steep while you get the crawfish ready to go into the pot. After a 10- to 15-minute rest, get your seasoned water boiling again. ​Dump your clean crawfish into the strainer basket and add garlic. A lot of it. Like a whole head’s worth of peeled whole cloves. Carefully place the basket into the boiling water. Your water will stop boiling, but that’s OK. Just keep the heat high and the lid on. When you hear it boil and see it start to steam, set a timer for three minutes. ​If you have two pots ready, get your soaking pot hot and holding 160 degrees.

If not, have a 10-pound bag of ice on hand. ​Once the timer hits, lift and drain the basket, then place it into the soaking liquid for 20 minutes or so. As the crawfish soak up that broth, they’ll sink; when they’re all at the bottom, you’re ready to eat. If you don’t have a second pot, don’t worry, when the timer goes off, cut the heat and add 10 pounds of ice, half at a time, stirring gently as you do. Both the ice bath and the vinegar-laced soaking pot achieve the same thing: to help the meat pull away from the shell, making the crawfish easier to eat. ​Put your cooked crawfish into a cooler (not your best one, the heat could warp the cooler) and cook the rest of the food. Put potatoes, mushrooms, and onions into a strainer basket and return the mix to your pot of seasoned, boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes and add smoked or andouille sausage. Cook 5 minutes. Add corn, cut the heat, let rest 5-10 minutes or until corn is done. ​Eat. ​ Which is easier said than done. ​ To properly eat a crawfish, hold the tail in one hand and the head in the other. Place your fingers just above the tail, at the separation point in the body. Give 68 DeSoto

it a pinch and a twist and pull it apart. Now, put the head portion in your mouth and pinch as you suck the juice and meat out of that side. On the tail, peel back the first couple of segments of shell, give the end a squeeze and the meat should pop out. ​Some folks prefer to eat their crawfish right out of the shell, others want a little sauce. There’s no wrong answer, but if you want to serve a little sauce alongside you can whip one up in a few minutes. Mix a cup of mayo, two tablespoons of ketchup, and a few dashes of Tabasco for a simple sauce.

To this you can add anything you want: dry crawfish boil seasoning, horseradish, lemon juice, yellow mustard, hot creole mustard, extra Tabasco. Your sauce is up to you, just mix and taste and adjust until you get it dialed in. ​ To complete your crawfish boil, you’ll want some beer (a lager or session IPA — something crisp and refreshing — is best), more paper towels than you think you will need, wet naps, plenty of newspaper spread across a picnic table, and some hungry friends. One last tip: you’ll need 3-5 pounds of crawfish per person, unless you have Cajuns coming. In which case, double it.

Jason Frye lives on the coast of North Carolina, and this spring he’s planning to modify his typical crab boil by throwing in a few pounds of crawfish and inviting a handful of friends for a socially-distanced seafood boil with a Cajun twist. Tag @ desotomagazine and @beardedwriter in your crawfish boil Instagram posts and let us see what you made.

DeSoto 69

southern harmony | BAILEY BIGGER

70 DeSoto

Bigger than Memphis

By Kevin Wierzbicki Photography Credits: Bailey with Mark Edgar Stuart – Dara Rhodes Bigger.

Bailey on stage – Crystal Cason. Bailey with horse and CD cover – Bethany Reid Visuals.

Farm life in Marion, Ark., agrees with singer/songwriter Bailey Bigger whose lyrics and singing style belie her young age.

When singer and songwriter Bailey Bigger decided to move to Memphis to kick her career into high gear, she had the highest of hopes for a new life in the city, a place she was already intimately familiar with. When things didn’t work out as planned, at least Bigger didn’t have too far to go in retreating

to her home turf of Marion, Ark., only about half an hour from the Memphis line.

“My time living in Memphis didn’t feel right for me in any way,” Bigger says. “I love Memphis, but I’m a country girl through-and-through. I couldn’t keep looking at all that DeSoto 71

concrete out my bedroom window and having no fresh air. I just felt trapped 24/7, so I moved back to Marion and moved into a house on my friend’s 500-acre farm. It’s really been such a blessing.”

As it turns out, Bigger’s Memphis misstep was just a tiny blip. Now, a couple of years later, her career is progressing nicely and her arm’s-length relationship with the city is flourishing. Barely out of her teen years, Bigger and her new EP “Let’s Call it Love” are the talk of the town, not only with fans but with musicians, too. Texas guitar man Will Sexton is now a Memphian and he plays on the EP, as does local favorite Mark Edgar Stuart. Bailey and Stuart met when they were both contestants in a songwriting contest sponsored by the Tennessee Department of Tourism.

“I was really knocked out when I saw her,” Stuart enthuses. “That voice! It was unique and really stood out from everyone else, and the song was fantastic. She also had a cool stage presence; classy, understated, and just oozing that X-factor like a young Joni Mitchell or Joan Baez.” ​ Both Bigger and Stuart lost the contest, but he eventually reached out to her on social media. He wanted to know her story and if she had been working with anyone. ​“Bailey calls me a mentor, which is sweet, but she was well on her way without me,” Stuart says. “I’m happy to guide her a little bit and keep her from making some of the same mistakes I made.”

Bailey’s affection and respect for Stuart is palpable in her speech. Referring to the songwriting contest, Bigger says, “I had just finished playing my original song ‘Angel’s Waltz,’ and Mark was next. I was back at my table with my parents and my dad leans over and says ‘You were great, but here’s your competition right here. Mark is the real deal.’ I didn’t know of him before this and I was quite intimidated.” ​ Now she and Mark write a lot together. They wrote “Weight of Independence” together, which is the first track on her new EP. “When you are friends, it’s so much more natural,” she says. “Mark is a great guy and he’s done so much for me.”

72 DeSoto

Some of the credit for Bigger’s success goes to her family. Bailey’s big brother is an accomplished piano player and singer, and the siblings attended blues summer camps in Clarksdale, Miss., and frequented blues festivals there with their parents. ​ “One thing both my parents did when my brother and I were young was ‘culture’ us music-wise,” Bigger says. “My dad introduced me to John Denver at a very young age, and I was obsessed with ‘Rocky Mountain High’ and asked for guitar lessons after hearing it at six years old. Dad loved Bruce Springsteen too, so I have a lot of influence from him and his songwriting.

My parents both loved Memphis and soul music and the artists of Stax Records, and they played those hits around the house all the time.”

Though there are just a few songs on “Let’s Call it Love,” that is enough for listeners to hear a maturity in Bigger’s lyrics and singing style that belies her youthfulness.

There’s an organic quality to her music that aligns perfectly with her notion that she’s “a country girl through and through.” There’s no pretense to be found in that description either, as Bigger’s reflection on her bucolic lifestyle demonstrates.

“Since I’ve been out here on the farm I’ve really been so much more in tune with who I am, what and who’s good for me, and what I want in life,” Bailey explains. “I found my dog out here wandering around and rescued her. She’s so wild and my best friend. I adopted a stray cat who was dropped on a farm as well, and I decided to raise chickens out here too. I’ve got five hens and a rooster who wakes me up at sunrise, which I adore, plus the fresh eggs.” ​ With four horses on the property, riding has also become one of her favorite pastimes. She says the space at the farm allows her to breathe and just to be. ​ “One of my favorite songs is Roy Rogers’ ‘Don’t Fence Me In’ with its lyric ‘I can’t look at hobbles and I can’t stand fences… don’t fence me in.’ It’s nice to have access to this lifestyle again.” baileybigger.com Not much of a country boy, Kevin is most at home in the big, dirty city. But he is thankful for artists like Bailey Biggers who create music that allows him to momentarily visit places far beyond his city’s limits.

DeSoto 73

in good spirits | U.S. IN A GLASS

74 DeSoto

The U.S. in a Glass

By Cheré Coen | Photography Courtesy of Ruthie Hauge

Author Brian Bartels tours the country to sample unique cocktails and learn regional drinking traditions in his latest book.

Ernest Hemingway once said that “If you want to know about a culture, spend a night in its bars.” Bartender and author Brian Bartels takes that to task after spending a year touring the country to write his latest book, “The United States of Cocktails: Recipes, Tales, and Traditions from All 50 States (and the District of Columbia).”

While working a full-time job, the Wisconsin native then living in New York toured the nation, visiting craft distilleries, famous and not-so-famous bars, and learning about local traditions and signature cocktails.

“Coming from Wisconsin with its fun drinking traditions, I wanted to see what the rest of the country was doing,” Bartels says, adding that he left home every other weekend — and then some — to visit states. “I used up an entire year’s worth of vacation writing the book.”

Bartels breaks up the book into regions: Massachusetts includes a recipe for the Cape Cod cocktail, Kentucky favors bourbon, for example. Naturally, the South commands a strong presence with the chapter on Mississippi spotlighting the Snackbar in Oxford, The Apothecary at Brent’s Drugs in Jackson, and King’s Tavern in Natchez, as well as Cathead Distillery, the state’s best known spirit maker. And what would be a book on cocktails without mentioning New Orleans, where many drinks originated and arguably the word cocktail itself.

“New Orleans is one of those few cities, when I was visiting, I was thinking how fast could I get back to it,” Bartels says.

The book covers enormous ground, mainly because Bartels would ask other bartenders for their favorite watering holes in each place visited. He also discovered many “diamonds in the rough” craft distilleries and encourages readers to support these local businesses.

The following is a recipe Bartels picked up from Charlie Rausch, a mixologist from Fayetteville, Ark., perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. It’s a bit involved, but for the home bartender Bartels suggest substituting coffee liquor for simple syrup and milk instead of cream, although heavy cream

is ideal. (Cathead makes a lovely Hoodoo Chicory Liqueur but the extra bitterness of the chicory might require adding a little sugar, Bartels says.) Bitters, salt, and the Sambuca are optional.

So, raise a glass to Eire and be Irish this month while celebrating the unique spirit traditions America’s melting pot produced.

“What a crazy, beautiful country we are able to live in,” Bartels says.

Everyone’s Irish Tonight

By Charlie Rausch, Fayetteville, Arkansas 1 ounce Tullamore D.E.W. blended Irish whiskey 3/4 ounce cold brew coffee 1/2 ounce simple syrup 4 dashes Bittercube Corazon bitters 1 pinch of salt 2 ounces heavy cream Sambuca in an atomizer (optional) Directions: Stir the whiskey, cold brew, bitters, and salt with ice until chilled; strain into a chilled coupe glass. Shake the cream in a sealed shaker without ice for a good 30 seconds to thicken it. Very slowly top the drink with the cream so it rests on the top.

If desired, spray Sambuca three times over the drink, and if you’re really adventurous, light a wooden match and hold it between the cocktail and the Sambuca, then point the Sambuca atomizer toward the cocktail and over the flame, which will spray the top of the cocktail with flickering flames, leaving a delicate aroma of burned sugar and anise on top.

With a name like Cheré Dastugue Coen, you can rest assured our DeSoto co-editor has a mixed background of nationalities, including Irish, which is why she celebrates all American cocktails.

DeSoto 75

reflections | A SENSE OF NORMALCY

A Sense of Normalcy Story and photography by Trudy Haywood Saunders

Resuming softball games in a pandemic was a scary experience, but it was much needed for our children’s mental health and well-being.

It began again last night. Everyone said it would happen, but it had been so long that I thought maybe it wouldn’t. I remember the yelling, the chaos, the high-pitched screams. All of the memories came flooding back.

And it was wonderful, all summed up in one word — softball.

A full year, which is like seven in dog years for a kid, has passed since the last time my daughter played a softball game. The spring season came and went, shrouded in fear of a mysterious virus that no one knew a lot about. Summer arrived, bringing rumors of possibly playing a shortened season, but the questions lingered. Was it safe yet? How long was this thing going to go on? The idea finally fizzled out like a burned out sparkler.

Finally it was time for ball, a last ditch effort to salvage some sense of normalcy in an anything-but-normal year. School was still remote for most of the girls. Many had barely gotten to play with other children since last March. They wanted to play ball. They needed it. Sure, there were still risks. Anytime other people are around there are risks, even outdoors. But at some point we had to get past the fear of what could possibly happen and realize what would definitely happen if we continued to sit on the sidelines. The girls were missing out on running after balls, the crack of the bat when they connected with a pitch, but especially the giggles with friends. You’re only eight once, after all. Little girls don’t keep.

76 DeSoto

Eventually our local Dixie Softball agreed, and practices commenced, with still some fear and trepidation. A short schedule was drawn up, designed to wind up before cold and flu season got in full-swing.

During that first game, the girls were a little rusty, but not as much as the coaches that had to pitch to them. Rules had been forgotten. Base-running mistakes were made. But it came back, like riding a bicycle. According to the final score, my daughter’s team won, but it took them a while to realize it.

(At this age, only grownups keep up with the score.) But really all of the girls won, just being able to play again.

“I forgot how much I loved it,” my daughter says, smiling at me as we headed home. “Me, too, baby girl. Me, too.”

Before long the little girls’ T-shirt graphics will change from Disney princesses to rock bands. This season of their lives will be gone.

Sure, there are changes. Players wave to the other teams instead of shaking hands. Dugouts have to be disinfected between games. Families sit in camping chairs instead of the bleachers. But it’s all worth it, just to see the kids be kids.

Just be sure to wash your hands, we remind them... and ourselves.

Trudy Haywood Saunders is a freelance writer and author of two mysteries for young adults. She lives with her husband and daughter in Montgomery County, N.C.

Going green isn’t for the faint-hearted.

2021 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road

CHUCK HUT TON TOYOTA

Our goal is to provide all customers from Memphis and north Mississippi the best in new Toyota models, quality used vehicles, exceptional auto repair and car service, and high-end OEM car parts.

Because we are the only locally owned car dealership in Memphis, our mission is to always treat our customers and community with the care and respect that they deserve. When you are ready to purchase a new vehicle or have your own serviced, look no further than Chuck Hutton Toyota, a family-owned dealership committed to our community.

901-345-3200

I-55 AND SHELBY DRIVE C H U C K H U TTO NTO Y O TA.C O M