Farmer's Market Season Is Open

Tomorrow begins one of the best parts of being a foodie in the Milwaukee area: the West Allis Farmer's Market opens for the season. Produce has to be home grown by the people who sell it, promising local good stuff. But what to expect? Winter lasts all Summer here in Wisconsin, so I'm not sure what can be harvested this early in the season. The site mentions radishes, asparagus, and rhubarb as well as bedding plants (I'm guessing generally not edible on their own). I'm looking forward to the prospect of rhubarb having recently come across a delicious-looking recipe for Rhubarb Bread Pudding. Equally hoping to find some ramps, or maybe even fiddle-head ferns...

The Chocolate Garden

This is the first year of garden time in our new house. New to us, and about 60 years old. We are not the first to appreciate green things around the house, a fact that is obvious based on the gardens already in place. What isn't completely obvious is what's going to grow.

Being the latecomer to an established garden is like that famous box of chocolates: you never know what's going to come up.

We're in the process of cataloging what we can recognize and trying to figure out what we don't. We can label about 90% of what's here, although we don't know all the cultivars, hybrids etc. We may never know for some, but it's not that important.

Exciting today: the viburnum is blooming. This morning it was covered in buds, and in the space of one warm day, it has come into bloom. We guessed a viburnum, and now have proudly ID'ed it as Koreanspice Viburnum (V. carlessi if you like). Charming and headily fragrant. It's my new favorite.