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We picked our first homegrown tomatoes last week.
The large cherry variety, Sweet Chelsea, are always the first to ripen and remind me why I grow my own. So much flavor!
Can’t wait until the larger varieties mature. Til then I’m buying and eating wonderful tomatoes from Carden Farms, the new produce, plant, arts and crafts market on the main street in Apex, NC
Carden Farms sells real tomatoes. Grown for eating (not stacking in truck beds), they are red-ripe and not too perfect, which is a good thing in the tomato world. 
A few years ago I stopped buying tomatoes at the State Farmers Market because they were all uniform, unblemished and looked like they belonged in the grocery store. Summer tomatoes should never be firm enough to pack in layers or sit for a couple of days.
Thank you Carden Farms for saving my favorite summer meal–the tomato sandwich.
I also like Carden Farms because they stock locally grown plants, trees and shrubs. Local plants grow better locally. AND buying locally grown plants supports local plants people who are a great source of regional info and products.
Finally, Carden Farms, owners Carol Willis and her husband Dennis sell the work of local artists and crafts people like me.
Carol did the craft show circuit for years with her luscious handmade soaps and she’s a really artist-friendly vendor. Stop in and see my Kiki’s Rewind Designs. And by all means buy some real tomatoes. 
I know you’re suppose to eat them with Duke’s mayo and soft white bread, but blog partner Melissa has me hooked on Laughing Cow Spreadable Swiss. Great stuff on toast with a big slice of mater and lots of salt and pepper. You’ll save enough calories to have a nice cool desert.
Happy summer!
It was a great week for me last week–Lots of sunshine and more spring blooms like the purple lenten rose above–plus I delivered a load of vintage fabric garden journals and tool belts to two of my favorite stores in Durham. 
Garden pals and blog readers Jon and Bea saw the New Years post about writing stuff down and asked for some of my hand-crafted garden journals for their great flower and plant shop–Floral Dimensions. 
They also took some of my Rewind Design work belts, along with George Davis at another of my favorite stores–Stone Brothers and Byrd. 
I’m so flattered to be in such good company. Both Floral Dimensions and Stone Brothers sell top quality, unique products–roses that open, orchids that live (from Floral Dimensions) , grass seed that’s geared to our area, seed starting mix, seeds, bulbs and bedding plants (from Stone Brothers and Byrd).
So as we all gear up to start the spring flower spending frenzy, a reminder to shop local independent stores like these.
Not only do they sell unique items you won’t find in the big box stores, they have lots of experience, passion and give out lots of free advice–
They are part of the local garden community–and that’s very, very important to me.
Plus our choices would be so limited without them–
Here are more local suppliers I couldn’t live without. What about you? Would love to know your favs.
Campbell Road Nursery in Cary. Great perennial and annual plants, knock your socks off sales and they contribute to world of plants: Lane is co-hybridizer of the wonderful dwarf butterfly bush–Buddleia Blue Chip
Camellia Forest Nursery in Chapel Hill–World famous camellia breeders. Most of the best shrubs and small trees in my garden began life here (including my Edgeworthia Snow Cream that blog partner Melissa and her dad covet)
Big Bloomers in Sanford–More perennials than you can count, great annual selection. My little sis always travels from Ashland, Va TWICE every spring to fill up her mini van…but don’t tell her husband.
Final notes: Did any of you ever shop at Buchanan’s Nursery on Western Blvd in Raleigh? Great plants and service–staffed with lots of people from NC State. You could call them up with a question and they’d spend 20 minutes on the phone with you. Gone now–killed by big box competition. How sad.
And if you ever buy cut flowers, read the article in this months Smithsonian Magazine.http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/The-Secrets-Behind-Your-Flowers.html Like our food, we need to know where our flowers come from. Another reason to shop with someone you trust.
Finally, one more milestone for me last week, one of my Kiki’s Rewind Designs made the new issue of Green Craft Magazine. Look for it on page 133 in the spring issue.
