Spring bloomed on May 7 with breaks of sunshine and major garden sales in Eglon and Hansville.

In the old Eglon Schoolhouse, visitors enjoyed Diana Allen’s fresh-baked pecan cinnamon rolls and oohed and aahed over handcrafted items, artwork, fresh-cut flowers and plants. Eglon gardener Elaine Bryant’s tulips and other flowers brightened the room. John L. Edwards of Eglon shared information about some of the 200 heirloom-seed varieties of tomatoes in his inventory. Teen entrepreneurs Ruth Kvistad of Eglon’s Good Dog Biscuit Co. sold handmade dog treats and Sophia Woltersdorf of Hansville sold handmade lavender sachets. There was more … so much more.

At the Greater Hansville Community Center, the annual Flotsam & Jetsam Garden Sale raised several thousand dollars for scholarships, grants and eight other local causes. Shirley Kaltenbach of Hansville cajoled  visitors into bidding on live and silent auction items provided by more than 30 local donors. Visitors shopped amid thousands of plants — annuals, berries, grasses, ground covers, herbs, perennials, sedums, shrubs, tomatoes, trees and veggies. Inside the center, there were baked goods, fresh flower bouquets, house plants, auction items and raffle items.

A brief downpour didn’t dampen spirits, or slow business, at nearby Dragonfly Farms Nursery on Hansville Road. Visitors toured the display gardens to gather ideas and inspiration. And in downtown Kingston, the 22nd season of the local Farmers Market opened. (Read Johnny Walker’s Kingston Community News blog post.)

The Herald’s Richard Walker captures the day in this slideshow.