WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, Ohio — Having just returned from California, I’m struck by how much our landscape, in this time of drought, looks like that of southern California. It’s the brown of everything — the dead grass, the fallen leaves. Of course, California native plants are adapted to little or no rain for six of more months of the year, and direct sun and no overcast days. At a botanical garden in Thousand Oaks, Calif., which features native plants, I found surprising splashes of color … on trees, on seemingly dead shrubs, on cactus, there were blooms.

Except in watered lawns and gardens, there are few blooms here now. So, I was delighted by the solid stand of (unwatered) blooming Solidago (golden rod) mixed with purple aster lining the road into the Deer Creek State Park. According to the North Carolina Extension, “The genus name, Solidago, is Latin for Solidus and means ‘to make whole.’ This references the plant’s healing properties. Native Americans used this plant for medicinal purposes.” Hardy and drought resistant, this plant is critical for our native pollinators as well as the honey bee.

Mary Oliver, in her poem “Goldenrod,” expresses the striking nature of this often unappreciated plant: “…I don’t suppose/much notice comes of it, except for honey,/and how it heartens the heart with its/blank blaze./I don’t suppose anything loves it, except,/perhaps,/the rocky voids/filled by its dumb dazzle. …I was just minding my own business/when I found myself on their straw hillsides,/citron and butter-colored,/and was happy, and why not?/Are not the difficult labors of our lives/full of dark hours?…” Read the full poem in New and Selected Poems by Mary Oliver.

Elementary-age children shopping at the Fayette County Farmers Market this week can make a good-luck Buckeye Nut Necklace with Mrs. Debra at the Kids’ Activity Table in the Market Information Booth.

In addition to our craft, we’ll have two community guests. Visit the OSU Extension (Jennifer Eggleton) for information on Extension AG programs and the County 4-H program. Also, visitors will learn about food-related activities the extension offers, including food preservation (canning, freezing) and meal preparation. Our other guest, Cathy Coldiron of Nature Inspired Photography, plans to bring various sized prints of her photography for sale.

The Market is open Saturday morning from 8:30 to noon. It is located in the municipal parking lot on the corner of South Main and East East streets. SNAP EBT food benefit cards and credit/debit cards are accepted. Those using the SNAP EBT card for food purchases receive matching dollar “Produce Perks” tokens ($1 for $1) good only for fruits, vegetables, and food producing plants. So,”buy one, get one” for up to $25 every market day. Five dollar coupons will be available again for Fayette County Farm Bureau members at each Saturday market; these can be spent at both the Wednesday and Saturday markets.

The following list contains the names and products of the vendors that expect to set up this Saturday. Other vendors may participate as well.

Edlynns Attic (Robin Dement): Dog biscuits, wax melts, fingerless gloves, scarves, yarn and baking mixes.

Greens & Greenery (Katrina Bush): Raw, local honey. Concord grape jelly and tomato “jam.” Buckeye candy, garlic/rosemary focaccia bread and sourdough crackers (garlic/turmeric, rosemary, everything and parmesan). Dried sage and parsley. Houseplants: Aloe, broad leaf begonia, dwarf sansevaria.

Jim’s Premium Ground Beef (Jim Hobbs): Premium ground beef in assorted packages (patties, bulk tubes). New products: “slider” size patties (6 patties per pound) and 8oz patties (2 per package).

Julie G’s Cookies (Julie Greenslade): Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, ginger, sugar, pineapple, macadamia nut, peanut butter, peanut butter jumbos, peanut butter fudge, lemon bars and double chocolate fudge cookies.

PPCF/ The Jam Man (David Persinger): Jams/Jellies/Fruit Butters: New- quince butter, plum butter, pear butter. Seedless blackberry jam and no added sugar peach and triple berry jams are back in stock. Texas chocolate sheet cakes with or without pecans. Jasper Twp local RAW HONEY. Produce: red and orange habanero peppers & Brussel sprouts.

PPCF/The Pie Lady and S. Plymouth Raw Honey (Julie & Dennis Mosny): Local raw honey and beeswax. Assorted fruit pies, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread, cini mini’s, Buns bars and cinnamon rolls.

Red Maple Goats and Soaps (Cindy Grover): Goat milk soaps as well as soothing bath soaks, foot cream, lotions, and 100% handmade goat milk products.

Sunburst Wormstead (Sarah & Daniel Jewell): Vermibrew (worm tea) and worm casting tea bags; fertilizer made from worm castings and full of beneficial microbes for your indoor & outdoor plants.

Teter Farm (Owen and Kate Teter): Fresh and dried flower bouquets. Dried flower arrangements.

Windy Hen Acres (Jeff Shepherd & Angie Nichols): farm fresh eggs & assorted pottery.

Wood Designs by DW (Debbie Welch): One of a kind handcrafted wood items— signs, tables, gnomes, as well as bird feeders (freestanding and hanging) and hanging bird houses. Wooden solar mushrooms and sunflowers. Crocheted items including a variety of stuffed animals, kitchen towels, pot scrubs, pot holders, baby booties, and afghans. Will take custom and special orders.

Bridge View Gardens (Hunter & Lorelle Rohrer): Fall mums, decorative gourds & pumpkins, potatoes, sweet potatoes, Winter squash: butternut squash, acorn squash & spaghetti squash, tomatoes, carrots, fresh cut lettuce, bell peppers, and hot peppers.

Compton Creek Farms (Jason and Jenna Bryan): assorted packaged (frozen) cuts of pasture raised chicken.

Cozy Baby Blessings (Nancy Cutter): Baby essentials including hand crocheted blankets and hats, flannel burp cloths, muslin swaddle blankets, beaded and macrame pacifier clips, crinkle squares and other baby teethers. Also crocheted kitchen dish cloths, pot scrubbers, essential oil car diffusers and hand poured wax melts in over 50 scents.

DSC Produce Farm (Darren Cox): 10 flavors of salsa, 4 flavors of salad dressings and 3 flavors of BBQ sauce. New pumpkin salsa.

Katrina Bush is a vendor at the Fayette County Farmers Market.