So, RED is one of my go-to colors in scarves, shoes, accessories for the home, flowers in my flowerbeds, etc.  It’s just me.  And on my recent visit to Washington and Idaho, we picked the juiciest, crispest red apples right from the trees!  Wouldn’t you know I’d be drawn to this luscious basket of ripe RED apples as the Hue of Me!

For more entries in the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: The Hue of You, click here.

Apples are from Kelley’s Canyon Orchard, 1903 River Road, Filer, ID 83328.

If you park in the adjacent Galvez Garage, you’ll walk directly inside to the Main Street Market where, on Saturdays, you can watch the Fresh from the Market Cooking Demonstrations beginning at 10.  The chef on board this Saturday blended a mixture of fresh veggies and tomato juice for a healthy, colorful gazpacho while guests sipped coffee and sampled breakfast breads from Our Daily Bread right next to the cooking area.

Blending a healthy, colorful gazpacho at the Main Street Market

Loaves of fresh bread line the counter at Our Daily Bread.

We meandered through the crowded aisle, past the demo and the tempting breads, so we could sample freshly made pork sausages neatly pinned by toothpicks and placed within reach at Cutrer’s.  We can’t serve deer meat here, the vendor told me, but I was content with the delicious pork version offered to us.

Offering samples of reshly made sausages from Cutrer’s

At Millitello’s Gourmet Specialties booth, we sampled fresh tilapia baked with Militello’s signature Sicilian Olive Oil with herbs and spices bottled right in. I had to bring home a bottle of this goodness after watching this gentleman offer us a second sample.  First, he added a little balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese, and granulated garlic to a tablespoon or two of the oil.  Then he dipped french bread into the mix.  Can’t wait to serve the fish or the dippin’ bread at home!

Fresh tilapia baked in Militello’s Sicilian Olive Oil was our treat from this booth.

I passed on this gorgeous three-layer lemon cake only because I knew there was more temptation outside . . . and I was right. But you can buy one slice or one cake — your choice.  Pretty cakes, right?

Outside, we met Frances Chauvin whose blue ribbon pies could have won recognition just for their looks alone.  There’s nothing more Southern than homemade crusts filled with luscious coconut or pecan or fruit fillings, and these looked genuinely hand-crafted.

When Francis told me she had just been to Knoxville this past spring to see Robin Roberts (anchor on ABC’s Good Morning America) inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, I asked her how she knew Robin.  She worked for me when she attended college in Hammond where we’re located. Robin made $4.75 an hour when she worked for us, but even then I could tell she was going to be somebody.  At the Hall of Fame, I spent an hour with her afterwards.  I’m kind of a second mama, I guess.

The story about Robin Roberts who worked with Ms. Chauvin held us captive, but the pies were what we took home.

My friend (and willing partner in sampling the goods), Cathy Dunn of Meadville, Mississippi, stood next to a stack of shoe soles.  You read that right — shoe soles.  Ms. Chauvin had to “larn us” what they were:  You take whatever pie crust you have left over, shape it in a circle, and then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  And we call ‘em shoe soles!  (We call ‘em yummy!)

Cathy Dunn stands next to a tall stack of shoe soles from Frances Chauvin, the “Pie Lady.”

Some vendors brought goat cheese, some hauled in their greenest perennials, and some laid out their best summer vegetables like okra, potatoes, tomatoes, and lettuce.  What do you think of this head of bibb lettuce that the vendor said was also called butter lettuce? I think it’s picture perfect!

At the Bocage Honey booth, I fell in love with a honey-based soap for my sister Marilyn, a die-hard LSU Tiger fan.  It’s hard to see in this picture, but there’s a very clear likeness of Mike the Tiger embedded in the top of this soap.  (My sister may not even let water touch it!)

It’s a cake of soap with a tiger picture right on top!

At the end of our journey, we wandered back inside only to be drawn to  GoYaYa’s where they make crepes filled with sweet (Nutella, Strawberry, etc.) or savory fillings (Monte Cristo, Ratatouille, Muffaletta and more)!

Cooking great crepes at GoYaYa’s

We split a Muffaletta Crepe, and, as you can see, this half of that delicious olive-laced concoction was plenty!

Half — yes, just half — of a Muffaletta Crepe from GoYaYa!

If you’re in Baton Rouge “of a Saturday mornin’,” stop by Red Stick Farmers Market, a place I first read about in a blog from Traveluster that you, too, can read here.

And if you have a favorite farmers market of your own, let us hear from you in the Comments.  Where should we go next to find the best veggies anywhere?

Red Stick Farmers Market

Fifth Street at Main Street in downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Saturdays: 8:00 AM til 12:00 PM

redstickfarmersmarket.org

For more information:

To read about the “Pie Lady,” Frances Chauvin, click here.

GOyaya’s Crepes is on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/GOyayas-Crepes/186937798019822

The Traveluster’s blog post: Baton Rouge’s Local Food Evolution: http://thetraveluster.com/2013/09/baton-rouges-local-food-evolution/

A Word a Week Challenge: Vibrant

Even with occasional downpours threatening the festival at the UT Ag campus, Blooms Days 2013 (May 11 & 12, 2013) at the UT Gardens blossomed forth with colorful flowers, eager volunteers, and guests in the hundreds admiring, strolling, photographing, and buying. The event has become a rite of spring!

And I was there, along with all those flower lovers, finding seven (really more) things to do at Blooms Days! Here are my top seven springy things to do.

1. Grab a Garden Shot

You couldn’t help but surround yourself with pretty flowers from purple pansies to pitcher plants. The folks at HGTV Gardens were on hand to share tips for how to ensure good growth and how to combine plants by color for shade or sun.

Neatly mulched beds in full bloom sported markers that helped even the flower-challenged among us identify selections by name.

Casual strolling through the gardens would eventually land you at the koi ponds with their beautifully landscaped stone steps and splashy waterfalls.  It was a favorite place for family photos as most wanted to gather under the arched entrance or near the ponds.

Under the tents, local gardeners arranged their best offerings in photo-shoot-worthy style.  Like this grouping of pink flowers tucked nicely inside a weather-worn cart from Sunlight Gardens.

2. Picture a Bonsai

The Knoxville Bonsai Society set up award-winning specimens inside one building where black backdrops showed off carefully pruned greenery.  By training tender new shoots around copper wires, bonsai enthusiasts coax plants we normally see in much larger versions into miniature “trees” complete with trunks, greenery — even blooming branches.  Amazing!

Who would have imagined a ponderosa pine could follow this graceful form?

Or a normally aggressive wisteria would control its shape so artfully?  (Really?)

3.  Inspect an Insect

Bearing larger-than-life stylized drawings of ladybugs and butterflies, this white tent drew me in.  It was buggy all right.  Laid out on tables and pinned up on wall displays, insects as big as your hand were everywhere. If you had ever wanted to see the stuff of nightmares (OK, some people love these guys!) up close and personal, this was your chance.

4. Drag Home a Dragon

Vendors brought their best — from iron sculptures of garden dragons to cute clay teapots on garden stakes.  In several designated areas of the gardens, you had your choice of take-home presents for garden lovers — rare plants, herbs, baskets, totes, concrete planters, photography, etc.  High quality.  Creative.  And fun to touch and see!

These plantings in old pots appealed to me since I love both antiques and flowers — and together is even better.

5. Line Up for Food

The hungry among us found something other than the typical sandwiches and hot dogs served at most festivals.  The offerings this year came from Asian-inspired chefs, food trucks, and local cooks.  Sometimes the portions were huge like the meatloaf sandwich served at the Savory and Sweet truck.  (Enough for two, said James Newburn, Assistant Director of the UT Gardens.  And he was right.)

So I opted for a smaller but quite tasty pizza pie from Dale’s Fried Pies.  It helped that a former student, Mickey Johnson (talking to Dale below), treated me and paid the bill!  As he said when he placed the order: This is thanks for all that grammar you made me learn!!! (Nice to see those assignments I gave paying off!)

More good news:  Owner Dale Mackey says she’s getting a food truck for Dale’s Fried Pies soon! Yeah!

6. Photograph an Author

You could even meet an author at Blooms Days!  Jean Leigh Claudette was on hand with her new book The Classified Files of Sweet William Farm, the story of a secret-agent raccoon named JD.  Ms. Claudette was hamming it up a bit, drawing attention to her young reader’s book set on a Tennessee farm. These may not be night-vision goggles like JD would wear, but they sure brought a smile to those who passed by her booth!

7.  Hug a Volunteer

And what would Blooms Days be without all those volunteers giving advice on which plants to buy, where to plant, how much water to give ‘em, etc.?  They were a big help to me as well as persuasive, too!  I got talked into buying sedum to use as ground cover in one of my beds and a mixed pot of primarily pink non-stop (They promised, right?) blooming petunias for a sunny spot on my patio.

Two volunteers grabbed me just as I was leaving — Candace Eagle, president of the Knox County Master Gardeners, and Fran Scheidt, curator of the Elmore Holly Collection at the UT Arboretum — and thanked me for coming.

And so it was.  Another glorious East Tennessee day in my favorite garden spot — the UT Gardens, which has now been named the State Botanical Gardens of Tennessee. (Thanks, Gov. Haslam!)

If you missed this year’s Blooms Days, you missed a good time in a lovely setting.  Hope to see you next year!

The University of Tennessee Gardens

252 Ellington Plant Sciences Building

2431 Joe Johnson Drive

Knoxville, TN 37996

utgardens@utk.edu

Mentioned in this post:

HGTV Gardens: http://www.hgtvgardens.com

Sunlight Gardens: 174 Golden Lane, Andersonville, TN 37705; 865.494.8237; http://www.sunlightgardens.com

Dale’s Fried Pies: 865.236.1590; http://www.dalesfriedpies.com

Savory and Sweet Food Truck: http://savoryandsweettruck.com; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Savory-and-Sweet-Truck/283598151693769

The Classified Files of Sweet William Farm: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Classified-Files-of-Sweet-William-Farm-JDs-Adventures-Begin/268268469967649

Yes, it’s true.  I write this blog from Knoxville, Tennessee — home of the Dogwood Arts Festival.  So, of course, I’m biased.  But if you’re ever in Knoxville at festival time, you’ll agree with me:  Spring shows off its finery nowhere better during this puttin’-on-the-pastels time of year!

Several years ago, my husband and I lived in Deane Hill subdivision (designated an official Dogwood Arts Festival Garden Byway). We had passed by the home of J. D. “Bud” and Carolyn Mynatt often but never stopped in to see their Open Garden during festival time.  This year, however,  we put it on our don’t-miss list and entered a beautiful secret backyard haven that the Mynatts have tended for more 34 years!

We sauntered past the white mounds of candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) lining front flower beds along with the statuary and mixed pots Carolyn has added. Then we headed to the back yard.

When Bud saw us, he came down the back steps as the Southern gentleman he is to welcome us to his private garden.  We shook hands, introduced ourselves, and then asked him to take us on a tour — which he did willingly.  He told us that he has recently turned 90, but he still maintains the garden.

However, he said, I did have to hire someone to spread 15 yards of mulch this year.  (No apologies needed here.  We can’t spread mulch at all!)

Bud Mynatt, on right, shares the history of the garden with Bert.

Bud and Carolyn bought the house and the overgrown lot with only five maples and a magnolia on the property in 1976 and began the work of clearing, planting, pruning, and showcasing. Bud mostly does the gardening and maintenance.  Carolyn is the design lady!

We admired the dogwoods just eeking out those creamy blooms . . .

and the Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) climbing gracefully over the deck at the rear of the house.

Bud was proud of this colorful pink Chinese fringe (Loropetalum chinense) . . .

and the profusion of blooms on the endless clumps of Lenten roses (Helleborus orientalis).

Well-fed koi swam innocently around and around the lower levels of the bubbling pond, but we noticed a wire mesh covering over all.  Bud sadly explained: I had to cover the pond with wire ’cause big Blue Herons were swooping down and snatching my fish. (Guess herons can’t resist free food any more than humans can!)

The backyard showstopper for us was this Southern magnolia towering over the two men.  That tree was probably planted about fifty years ago, Bud told us. And it’s one of the few remaining plants we found when we bought the place.  (I’m no expert, but this looks like a prize-winner.)

We said good-bye to this dedicated gardener, and, on our way out, noted a pair of angels pondering a fitting quote for the Mynatts’ garden.

We love touring Knoxville’s Open Gardens.  But we’re especially fond of meeting residents like Bud and Carolyn Mynatt who take pride in their special place!

Click here for more information on Knoxville’s Dogwood Arts Festival.

Click here for a listing of Open Gardens available for viewing until april 28th.

2013 Dogwood Arts Festival

602 S. Gay Street, Mezzanine Level

Knoxville, TN 37902

865.637.4561

info@dogwoodarts.com