Rebecca Bain and the 350

• Posted on 18 November 2020
• 0

Treemendous Month Sale* continues, plus 25% off bags of* EarthMix® Landscape™

Rebecca Bain was a Nashville treasure.  It’s hard to believe that nine years has come and gone since her passing.  If you’re new to Nashville, her name might not be recognized, but she was a fixture on Nashville Public Radio for three decades.   Click here for a more in-depth look at her career.  NPR was not my connection to Rebecca; though I was aware of her considerable talent, I simply knew her, and her mother, as avid gardeners and friends.

Twelve years ago I began writing this newsletter/blog.  I began doing so after having repossessed my business, which I had sold, briefly, in 2007.  However brief, the damage and timing were a perfect storm.  As you may recall, in October 2008, the financial world was crumbling, and I was attempting to recover what remained of a devastated business.  With no money to advertise, I began writing… because I didn’t know what else to do.

Within a year or so after beginning this weekly endeavor, I got to know Rebecca much better; we discovered we had a lot of mutual friends.  She was very complimentary of my writing effort, which of course, coming from her, was praise of the highest order.  She did however offer some constructive direction.  I recall her saying, “You write well, but you get a little wordy.  You should try to keep it to around 350 words.”

Armed with that advice, I began the daunting process of writing more efficiently.  Sadly, in October of 2011, we lost Rebecca.  Since that time, I have attempted to continue pursuing this writing effort, with her always in mind.  My homage to Rebecca is that each scribing since her death has been exactly 350 words. 

As a result of having wonderful friends like Rebecca and you, we’ve been afforded the blessing of pulling Bates Nursery ‘out of the mire’.   We extend our appreciation, as our Treemendous Month Sale* continues; we’re adding EarthMix® Landscape™ at 25% off* to the deal!

David Bates

* in-store only, not valid for bulk quantities; excluding Japanese Maples