On Saturday 15 April we celebrate spring and the first First Incredible Edible Tokaj Wine Region planting into the new Sensory Herb Garden at the Gallery (Sárospataki Képtár) in the Castle District. This is a herb garden for all to discover and share – the first step of a wider project to bring more edible, medicinal and wildlife-friendly plants to the Tokaj Wine Region.

I love markets - and broadly see a few types. The traditional farmers' markets where local people and farmers bring their surplus to share, to sell, seasonal produce from their gardens, plots and farms nearby. Fresh eggs and milk, yoghurts and cheeses, sausages and hams. Think of the typical lively village market scene, a bustling marché in France, a mercato in Italy, a mercado in Spain. Here in Hungary, the piac, and in the Tokaj Wine Region, we still have four thriving original markets (Abaújszűntó, Sárospatak, Sátoraljaújhely, Szerencs) plus a number of small town/village market days celebrated throughout the region. And then we have the new farmers's markets, where modern farmers and artisans bring their wares direct to the customer. Direct contact. Communication. Often with higher levels of animal welfare, environmentally friendly philosophies, artisan closer to nature. Slower. Reinventions of the original markets. Let's discover them.

Did you know how many interesting gardens and plant collections already exist in the Tokaj Wine Region? An incredible number already - watch this space as we discover them, collect them and bring them here so you can find them and plan your perfect garden tour! Most are private but many can be visited by prior arrangement.Here are a few places you can visit to find small patches of interesting and unusual plants, from rose and lavender gardens to collections of old grape varieties, local almond varieties and herb gardens. Plants with poems and prose next to them, immortalised in the written word. Permaculture gardens where plants live in symbiosis with their neighbours and the natural world. The list is sure to extend in coming years. As we move towards vegetable and fruit tourism!

We are priviliged that several incredible down-to-earth and head in the clouds loving artists live and work among us in Sárospatak and the wider region - many of them members of the group Patak csoport. Active in their social consciencsce and community building around performances and exhibition openings in Sárospatak over the last 20, 30, 40, 50 years. Also two enormous murals, wall art on a huge, brave scale one a nursery, one on a block residential flats in the town centre.

Wow, time flies! It's already seven years since the first Tokaj-Hegyalja Market and we arrived early to set everything up, to welcome the market goers and then see who would arrive. Who was curious about local artisans? Well, as it turned out, plenty of people! Many friends, friends of friends and other locals plus visitors to the Tokaj Wine Region

May heralds the warmer weather with people are happy to be outside, to explore and meet each other at festivals, events, concerts and wine tastings.