Flower Power

Farmers Markets, Greenhouses, and Mother’s Day - My Sunday Best #59

“With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?.” Oscar Wilde

Yesterday, I helped out with the farmer’s market. It happens to be just a few steps out my door. This weekend was the first market of the season. Every Friday and Saturday, Angie’s Farmer’s Market will be open for business in Rocky Mount, Missouri for the next four months.

This wasn’t my first experience working at a farmer’s market. I have a long history of peddling goods from a roadside stand. One of my first jobs was helping my mom sell cowhides from a teepee at the intersection of Hwy 34 and 40 in Grand County, Colorado. My mom was a teacher, so during summer break, my sisters and I would tag along with her and work odd jobs during the busy tourist season in the mountains. The roadside teepee was a business created by my former band teacher, Mr. Ward. He made large wooden racks out of poles where we displayed the beautiful hides. Then we set up lawn chairs and waited for people to come—a teenager’s dream job with the bonus of getting a good tan.

A few years ago, when I lived in Tennessee, I used to load up my car with all things lavender—plants, soaps, essential oils, dried bundles, and more from Mulberry Lavender Farm, which is still owned and operated by some dear friends. I would drive to either Franklin, Tennessee, or sometimes Huntsville, Alabama, depending on the day of the week, set up shop, and share my love for lavender with all who passed by.

Yesterday’s market was all about the flowers. Which is fitting—after all, it’s Mother’s Day weekend. And although I love all the fresh tomatoes, eggs, and baked goods, flowers have a way of stealing the show every time. They aren’t shy. They reach their petals out to strangers as if to say, ‘Welcome, come closer, breathe in the fragrance, soak in the beauty, the color, the life, and all that is good.’

Flower power is a real thing. A couple of weeks ago, when I was visiting my grandkids in Colorado, we bundled up and took a walk to the high school. Although it was a cold and windy day, with frequent snow showers, it felt good to get outside. However, when my daughter-in-law, who is also the high-school principal, took us into the greenhouse, it was nothing short of breath-taking. The small space was filled with so much beauty, life, and love. Hundreds of tiny blooms in all colors, soft and tender green leaves and stems, and the smell of dirt awakened all my senses and brought an instant smile. My grandboys stood on their toes and buried their noses in the flowers. The plants in the greenhouse were all being carefully nurtured and cared for while awaiting the annual Mother’s Day sale.

Remember to be around flowers often—they raise your frequency as well as your ability to see the alternate universe all visionaries tap into — The 5 am Club.

Shopping at farmers’ markets is much more than just picking up a few things for dinner. It’s a chance to get to know someone and what they are passionate about. It’s an opportunity to learn about different plants, ingredients, and how things are grown. It introduces us to neighbors and offers us time to strike up conversations. There’s no self-checkout. It’s slow shopping—carefully picking out the perfect tomato or the plant with the prettiest flowers and imagining where you will plant it when you get home. It’s about finding treasures and making connections—from one hand to another, one heart to another.

Dennis was born for the farmer’s market. He thinks everybody is coming to see him. He barks with his tail wagging when he hears the sound of a car pulling into the drive. We’re working on toning down his greeting—it’s a little much. Hopefully, the flowers can teach him a few things.