One of my favorite things to do is go to outdoor markets. I especially love the Dane County Farmers Market, held every Saturday around the Capital square here in Madison. The market was founded in 1972, so this is the 36th anniversary. This weekend was the opener for us to get ready for the 2008 growing season!

There are usually about 200 vendors, selling everything from bakery, pesto, produce, cheese (of course, it’s Wisconsin!), maple syrup, beeswax, perennials, jerky, smoked fish, and so much more!

Our spring has been cold and damp so far, making us wait another week or two to buy plants for our gardens. One vendor was selling tomatoes, grown in a greenhouse, I assumed. The winter lettuce sold out very early in the morning (before we arrived). But there were a few nice containers to choose from.

Some containers were hard to resist, but we exercised our will power to wait until the chance for frost is gone.

What a beautiful way to spend a gorgeous Saturday morning!