THE SUMMER SEASON tends to evoke thoughts of hot temperatures, outdoor fun, long days, cool lakes and fresh vegetables from the garden.

However, with today’s fast-paced living, few people have the luxury of time or space to plant a garden and harvest the produce.

Carol’s Fruit and Produce, at 102 E. Holly St. in Ellisville, provides vegetables and fruit for those longing to have fresh produce from the garden.

Fresh vegetables available now include snap beans, squash, potatoes, turnip greens, collards and mustard greens. Florida and Texas watermelons also are available now for purchase, but come early because the watermelons sell out quickly.

Coming in the next few weeks are tomatoes, peas and butterbeans. Carol’s offers eight different varieties of shelled peas and green or speckled butterbeans. Shelling is also available. Orders are being accepted now for peas or butterbeans due to the increased demand of the vegetables.

The produce sold at Carol’s comes from a mixture of markets and local farms with the majority of the items grown within the state.

Carol’s also offers a variety of homemade jams, jellies, relishes, syrups and honey. Biscuits, cinnamon rolls, chicken strips, battered green tomatoes and fresh frozen vegetables also are on sale.

Hot-boiled and parched peanuts are sold all year, with fresh green peanuts arriving soon.

On Friday and Saturday, customers can buy fresh boiled crawfish with Cajun spice seasoning.

Fruit and vegetable trays can be ordered for pickup along with custom-made fruit and gift baskets. Flowering baskets (only in early spring) and green plants, such as ferns and palms trees, also are available.

Carol’s also offers rental service on the green plants for weddings and other special occasions. Those interested in this service should be sure to reserve the order for the green plants in advance because reservations are first-come, first-served.

# Contact Amy Williams Backstrom at awbackstrom@bayspringstel.net.

By Amy Williams Backstrom source : www.hattiesburgamerican.com