Well, finally now that it is spring (or nearly summer, thanks to the 21-23C weather we've been having), the Farmer's Markets are now open again. Our favorite one on Saturday mornings (see last summer's postings) in Ceske Budejovice is located by the 14th century church (Kostel obetovani Panny Marie or Church of the Sacrifice of the Virgin Mary):
Everyone is selling plants, seedlings, blooming flowers, vegetables and fruit stored through the winter (garlic, onions, potatoes, apples, pears) as well as selling other fresh items like eggs, rabbits, cut forsythia.
These are some of dear farmers who sold us fresh eggs today! We have purchased many fruits from them in the past....last summer they had the best sour cherries, sweet cherries, apricots, pears, and apples! We always chat with them in German. They asked how our winter was. We said that we were happy to have spring back to see our farmer friends and wished each other the happiest of springs and Easter!
This vendor is selling flowering primrose (
Primula), herbs, and other seedlings.
While this young horticulturist is selling geraniums! Yes, they sell these early, but only the ivy (
Pelargonium peltatum) and Martha Washington (
Pelargonium domesticum) types which are cold tolerant--a great idea. Imagine....buying geraniums in March!
Anyone for a pet rabbit? While we don't like these in the gardens and lawns at all, they are cute.
Several vendors have fresh cut
Forsythia and pussy willow (
Salix) for sale:
This farmer has Christmas rose, hellebores (
Helleborus) to offer. They are gorgeous here in the gardens!
Then this woodcarver had some interesting items, one of which we couldn't resist buying for our friend Judy! (can you guess what it might be...?)
Who could resist Winnie the Pooh or a stork?!
Many vegetable seedlings for transplanting NOW into the garden are sold in pots while others are in wooden flats. You just dig in and get the number that you want to purchase. This reminded Neil so much of gardening in the 1950s and 1960s at one of his mentors' backyard nursery: Velma Hazen, in West Lebanon, New Hampshire USA....shades of past horticultural glory!
Others have freshly dug native
Hepatica for sale. Neil used to see these in springtime Vermont!
Perhaps you'd like a Medveny garlic? This looks similar to the ramps (
Allium tricoccum) grown in West Virginia (it must be time there for their ramps festival?).
This is Milan red garlic:
Many examples of spring flowering rock garden perennials are also for sale:
We walk away burdened with delightful fresh produce, proceed to buy our weekly copy of the British newspaper,
The Guardian, and on the way to our car pass the following signs! The first is for our friend Kathy...
and for the rest of our farmer's market friends, an advertisement for another one to visit!
Happy Spring, support your Farmer's Markets! (see our 11 New Year's resolutions for 2011 posting back in January for more ideas....)
Disclaimer: This blog is not an official University of Minnesota or Fulbright Program blog. The views expressed are my own and not those of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State or any of its partner organizations, or the University of Minnesota.
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