Sunshine floating in a milkglass bowl on the kitchen table...a beautiful bit of inspiration to enjoy while managing some of the day's duties in the kitchen.

Saturday July 11th Hickory Green Farm donated a bouquet of 15 sunflowers to the Center for Rural Culture's raffle. When the Market official drew the winning number a squeal of delight rang out through the crowd....as I looked around to see who the lucky woman was a darling little girl was skipping up to the Market official with the winning ticket. With a handsome smile the Market official's young son gave her the huge vase of sunflowers. Hugging the vase with all her heart the winner posed for the perfect picture of a beautiful sunny day at the Goochland Farmer's Market. Turning around after taking the winner's photo I noticed the whole crowd was smiling with the winner as though they had won too...sharing the joy...sometimes I think the sunflower should be the olive branch. Hummm....flower for thought...

"bee" a sunflower at the Goochland Farmer's Market

Visit us at the Goochland Farmer's Market in Virginia on Saturday mornings til noon where you can shop for delicious foods, scented flowers, beautiful art, and you can become a radiant sunflower. This is my Sister in law Kate who is ever so clever and fun.

"A deer" point of view from across the pasture....

"A deer" point of view from the dry creek bottom...sneaking up to the squash, gourds and cucumbers....but really looking for those delicious sunflowers....

The brazing "deer point" of view just outside the tunnel of deer netting and real close to the orchard....

Yea Pearl! Keep the deer out of the garden...Good girl Pearl! Thanks to deer netting tunnels and Pearl's vigilance the garden continues to grow and bloom for "a dear" view from my porch rocking chair.

Ahhh My favorite week of the year has the longest day of sunlight. The sunflowers reflect the beautiful summer sun late into the night this time of year to give way to the beautiful twilight where the lighting bugs sparkle into the clear warm starry nights. Ahhh summer, love it, love it, love it. Let the summer sun rain down on me.

Tis the season at your local farmer's Market...

Spring garden peas


Shop your local farmer's market to find produce that is truly ripe for the season. This week in central Virginia you should be able to find freshly harvested and ready to prepare for meals; chard, sweet peas, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, radish, turnips, all kinds of onions, mushrooms, carrots, sprouts, micro greens, mint, chives, oregano, parsley, lavender, sage, arugula, beets...go and visit your local farmer's market to discover the best produce at it's best in season and delicious.


Hollyhocks


When you visit your local Farmer's Market here in central Virginia you will discover all the products that are in season picked or harvested at the peek of perfection. If you want flowers you will find gorgeous specimens that are in bloom naturally this time of year in Virginia. Fresh cut and long lasting with beautiful aromas.

Visit Goochland Virginia's Farmer's Market and discover local wines, produce, bison, farm raised trout, goat cheeses, Cow cheese, local beef, local pork, fresh cut flowers, Vegetable plants and herbs, locally grown orchids, compost, fresh chicken, eggs, sorbet, all locally grown and produced.
Wonderful artist also participate at the Goochland Farmer's Market selling their handwork and craftsmanship in an array of different mediums.

Enjoy each season at the Farmer's Market.

Yellow clover is in full bloom at Hickory Green Farm and waving with the weight of honeybees collecting nectar. The field of yellow clover is humming with bees working very diligently to collect all that the cover has to offer each day. It is an amazing little environment to experience. Pearl even notices the field and approaches it with interest and observation, as if she realizes it is a work zone that she should not disturb. In all it's golden beauty the field may simply and quickly be enjoyed for its radiant color...but if you slow down and really enjoy the field for all it has to offer... you will smell the sweetness, feel the swaying waves of amber, hear the hum of the honey bees, if you take the time to really understand what the buzzzzzz is all about.

So Many Shades of Green

Beets, Turnips, Cabbage, Broccoli, what beautiful green "eye candy." Soon these crops will be part of delicious meals to share with families and friends.
Green energy for the body and soul.