From the Home Team

Spring may be my favorite time of the year: the flowers bloom, outdoor events start, and the sun shines. All of WNY comes out of hibernation. To me and my family, that mainly means getting in the garden to get the vegetables planted in the beds and reviving the flowers surrounding the big garden area (living more in the country does have its perks). As we’re relatively new to gardening, we worked with Gardenette a few years ago to give us a good layout for our flower design that is both beautiful and useful.

I am a cider girly and nothing makes me happier than when Blue Toad’s Lilac Cider comes out. Between that, Rochester’s Festival, and one very large bush outside my kitchen window, lilacs and sunshine are synonymous with happiness.

This is just my second Mother’s Day as a mom and I am so excited to continue the tradition of checking out Flower City Days at the Rochester Public Market. With so many stunning, local growers alongside great food, you cannot go wrong. The warmer weather brings so many great festivals, and some of our favorites are the art festivals. We’ve been going to the Corn Hill Festival in July for the past few years.

I am lucky to live in a small town right between Buffalo and Rochester, which allows us to enjoy both with ease. But there’s something special about going to the local farmers markets for a loaf of bread (shout out to Schwabs Farm Market’s garlic and herb bread) or some fresh vegetables. My in-laws live right on the lake, giving us the opportunity to enjoy the water often. From kayaking on Oak Orchard Creek to riding the jet ski along the coast to just taking a swim, it really is nice to have this right in our backyard. Not to mention the beautiful spots along the waterfront.

I am passionate about shopping local. A while ago (Sept//Oct 2022) we featured The Hive founder, Chelsey Zawadzki, and she mentioned something that I took to heart: “community over competition.” Since reading that, it has been a motivation behind a lot of what I do and think. I believe the more people believe in that statement the more we can connect and grow our community.

Cheers to embracing the vibrant blooms of spring, reveling in the beauty of May and June in ROC! Let’s savor every sunny moment, the warmth of longer days, and the sweet scent of flowers in the air.