Last week my friend Suzanne and I went shopping for our gardens at one of our farmer’s markets for tomato plants, pepper plants, herbs, and a few random buys like homemade cranberry coconut peanut butter. It really does pay to have your neighbor along, the one who knows just how you are building your raised beds and who has a certain way of arranging potted herbs (Rosemary in a teapot whose lid is missing–what a great idea). We can assess why one tomato plant did better than another last year– the sun, the earth, the location–and give each other advice on seeds and timing.
We went to the market on a less crowded, slightly rainy Wednesday, the perfect day to think about a garden when not everybody else was. I also picked up a fresh chicken from a local farmer and some incredibly large and sweet scallions. It’s good to have a friend along at the market, especially one who might water (and vice versa) your veggies and herbs while you’re away.