hooray, the farmers' market is opening on Mothers Day!

[grasswire]

Happy dance, happy dance!

I'll be looking for rhubarb and peas and maybe local strawberries this opening day.

Oh, perhaps someone will have bouquets of sweet peas, too!

[elleng]

1. Just for you!!!

[dem in texas]

3. Sweet Peas are so hard to grow in Texas

My grandmother, who was a famous gardener, used to plant her sweet pea seeds in January in central Texas. I loved to visit her because she'd always pick me a big bouquet of flowers from her garden to take back to Dallas. I have grown sweet peas here in the Dallas area and just when they start to bloom the aphids get them. I used to live in Alaska and grew them there all the time. The blooms would be huge. Gr arden peas are hard to grow here in Texas, too aphids go for them also. I grew garden peas in Alaska and my plants would go wild. climbing everywhere. I'd be picking peas all summer. Sure miss that now.

[grasswire]

5. that's a nice memory for you -- Grandmother's sweet peas.

The only flowers I love the fragrance of as much as sweet peas are lilacs, lily of the valley, and gardenias. Oh well, then there are marigolds, too, which always take me back to Aunt Dorothy's garden.

[grasswire]

6. I can ....... almost....... smell them! nt

[Lucinda]

2. I wish we had a good one within driving distance.

I'm jealous!

[grasswire]

7. I have two within walking distance.

One of those is new this year. They are everywhere here.

I wish you had one, too, Lucinda.

[fizzgig]

4. hooray!

a couple of ours are open and the last one opens next weekend. let's see if i can drag myself out of bed early enough to get down there tomorrow.

[pinto]

8. Enjoy!

They're a great addition to a community.

[HappyMe]

9. Ours opens May 25.

It's walking distance.

[FarPoint]

10. I went to our farmer market today...just down the road from my house.

It's a family owned farm, butcher shop style market. They had the vegetable stand outside and market inside as the primary store. They also were grilling out for customers.

Inside they had fresh bake goods, fresh meats and sausages, soups, honey, cheeses and lots of farm made pastries inside for starters. I bought some beautiful short ribs to braise tomorrow. I also got leeks, garlic, farm fresh asparagus, fingerling potatoes, carrots, onions....all ready for Sunday dinner.

It was packed!

https://landesfreshmeats.com/

[grasswire]

12. think of all the work that went into producing the wares for today!

That's a lot of prep.

[FarPoint]

15. Yes...and that is why I do my darndest

to buy local. I love shopping at multi-generational owned stores and markets.

I myself...love the produce and appreciate the organic aspect. Lots of love on both sides.

[Retrograde]

11. Ours opened today

(well, the one that's within easy walking distance - we're spoiled here in California) Bought some locally caught albacore, mushrooms, and strawberries. Still a bit early for peaches, though.

My biggest problem with the market is limiting my buying to what I can use in a week.

[grasswire]

13. well, I got the peas and the rhubarb...

....but too early yet for good local berries.

The flower stands today were just gorgeous!

And the tomato starts were outstanding. So many varieties!!! One grower had about fifty different varieties, and they looked really good. Compact, not leggy. Really good.

[fizzgig]

14. hope the weather is as glorious as it is here

picked up some tomatoes, honey, a chunk of beef, milk and hot sauce.

also grabbed some tamales for lunch