TN FARM FRESH
Scrapbooking is but one activity that guests may partake in. Kayaking trips on the Duck River will be offered this summer, along with the year-round sightseeing, relaxing and spa services, including massages. Learn more about Petticoat Junction, which also hosts church retreats and family reunions, at www.pjretreat.com.
4 / History Comes Alive Located in Athens, the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum collects, preserves and displays the artifacts, documents and other items that represent the history of the county. Although some exhibits rotate, the museum’s textile collection is on permanent display and showcases more than 2,100 examples of textiles, including quilts and hooked rugs. In addition, the museum is home to more than 7,000 artifacts that represent and tell the histories of McMinn County and East Tennessee. Workshops and special events are also offered and open to the public. For additional information, visit www.livingheritagemuseum.com.
5/ Gorgeous Gardens According to many scholars, the first botanic gardens were actually herb gardens. Visitors to Memphis Botanic Garden can explore the three areas of the attraction’s newly expanded herb garden opening in March. The formal garden, a traditional European-style herb garden, features around-the-world herbs such as thymes, germander, rosemary, sages and lavender. The meadow is home to more robust plants such as shrub roses, comfrey and indigos. The woodland, sectioned by continents, contains an array of herbs from around the world, including medicinal, dye, cosmetic and utilitarian plants. More than 20 specialty gardens are located on the 96-acre Memphis Botanic Garden. Find out more at www.memphisbotanicgarden.com. tnhomeandfarm.com
TN FARM FRESH
Springtime Means Strawberries If you are in search of fresh fruits and vegetables this spring, look no further than Bradley Kountry Acres. Located about 30 miles north of Nashville in Sumner County, the farm will begin their season offering pickyour-own strawberries, along with tomatoes and a variety of other produce, flowers and herbs. After milking cows at a Grade A dairy operation in Cottontown for more than 30 years, the family decided to sell the herd and transition into a new venture. For Mike and Cathy Bradley, that meant growing and selling 6 acres of fruits, vegetables and an assortment of flowers. Today, Bradley Kountry Acres produces four different varieties of strawberries, which they grow in raised beds using plastic mulch and drip irrigation, a process known as plasticulture. According to the Bradleys, this method promotes better watering and fertilization as well as cleaner and healthier strawberry fields – and also makes them easier to pick. Visitors are welcome to come out and pick their own berries, though they offer prepicked berries for customers too. Each year on the first Sunday in May, the Bradleys host their Spring Open House, which is filled with all things strawberries to kick off the pick-yourown season. While visitors are shopping for their long-awaited fruit or flowers, they can also taste-test plenty of strawberry cakes, pies and other delicious dishes. In addition to the strawberries, the Bradleys also have three greenhouses filled with bedding plants, herbs, ferns, hanging baskets and potted flower arrangements, as well as tomatoes, blackberries, peaches, broccoli, squash, peppers and various other vegetable crops. Come autumn, they also have sweet potatoes, pumpkins, gourds and fall decor. Visitors are welcome at Bradley Kountry Acres almost anytime, especially during strawberry season. For more information on the farm’s pricing, the availability of their products or to schedule a group outing, please contact them at (615) 325-2836. You can also find them online at www.bradleykountryacres.com. – Tiffany Howard, Tennessee Farm Fresh coordinator
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