The bees are buzzing across Southeastern Mass. After a brutal winter, now is a good time to check out the happenings in our area. Gardening is in the air, as well as other fun events that remind us Spring is here.

Phippen Pharm in Carver is bringing more hugging into the world. Its cow-cuddling program offers 45-60-minute private sessions with its very loving cows for you, your family, or your group. A new and grow­ing wellness trend, cow-cuddling, is gaining in popularity as a therapeutic tool. This bovine hugfest offers a great way to decompress, ease stress, and reduce anxiety. All proceeds from the session go right back to the cows. That’s a Moo in our book!

Coming to Hanover this spring—Outer Isles, a 1,600 sf super local specialty food store and home to local H Cole, b.Wild Baking Company and Feral Petal Grove. The store will offer a variety of scratch sourdoughs, specialty cakes, pantry items, Detroit-style pizza, a weekly CSA, pre-made to-go dinner packs, daily hot breakfast and lunch based on seasonal ingredients, and market bouquets. Fan-favorite large-format catering platters will also be available. Sweet!

Sourdough bread and a jar of black garlic go hand in hand, and the Courage Provisions in Pembroke makes sure you can buy both together. Whether you pre-order from Courage’s hotplate account (pickup at Pembroke site) or venture down to the Marshfield Fair, Courage Provisions offers multiple flavors of sourdough bread and croutons, black garlic, and elderberry syrup. All are organic, local, and homemade, and ready for your taste buds to enjoy.

Bring the past alive again with rare, historical heirloom seeds from Plympton’s Hillside Heirloom Preservation Farm. The farm believes “that the seeds hold the wisdom of generations.” It is their aim to not only protect these heirlooms but to foster the stories behind them. These regionally significant seeds are sold in packets and include fruits, flowers, vegetables, and legumes such as Pineapple Ground Cherry, Tiger’s Eye Bush Bean, Blue Kuri Winter Squash, and Minarette Dwarf Lupine.

Whether fruit, flower, vegetable, or herb, the 13th Annual Adopt-a-Seedling event has what your yard is craving. This is a chance to refresh your landscape while supporting local, in this case the Marshfield Agricultural Commission. Online pre-ordering of seedlings starts April 22 and runs through May 9 with pickup on May 11 at the Marshfield Farmers’ Market. Pickup and a live adopt-a-seedling event is at the Market on May 18. Happy gardening!

Interested in making homemade kombucha and in need of some instruction? Learn from one of the best. Holly Hill Farm is holding a Kombucha Making Workshop on May 30, 1:00-2:30 pm with Rose Forbes, co-owner of Indie Ferm, at the helm. Along with a kombucha primer and kombucha tastings, you’ll receive a kombucha kit and SCOBY to make your new home fermenting experience a success. Check out Holly Hill’s website under Events to sign up.

Going green… thumb, that is. Plant sales bloom throughout the month of May. Kicking things off is the Soule Homestead Annual Plant Sale on Saturday, May 9 from 10:00 am-3:00 pm. Next the Mattakeesett Garden Club Plant Sale in Pembroke is on May 16 at Herring Run Park from 9:00 am-noon. And the Hingham Garden Club Plant Sale on Saturday, May 30, from 9:00 am-noon on Hingham Common. Your garden is beckoning you to add some new cultivars.

Marylou’s Coffee helped out during the recent blizzard when there was no heat or electricity. The Plymouth store was down for the count during the late February storm, as were the neighbors. That Wednesday (we’re sure we all remember) the store opened regardless, with Marylou’s regional manager driving containers of coffee from Braintree to Plymouth. The Marylou’s team hunkered down and got the job done, serving those who needed some warmth and some joe. Teamwork!

Now’s the time to spruce up your yard and garden(s). And it’s especially awesome when you can use native plantings and seeds to transform your outdoor space, drawing in desired wildlife and creating a tranquil sanctuary in your own backyard. Butterfly Effect Farm in Westport, Tree Talk Natives in Rochester, and Blue Stem Natives in Norwell specialize in offering native plants, grasses, perennials, tress, and more. Get your pollinators going, welcome wildlife, and enjoy the fireflies!

On June 20, Ossamequin Farm in Seekonk will hold its 2nd annual Farm-to-Table Brunch in the Field from 10:00 am-1:00 pm. Returning to the event is Chef Dave Johnson, formerly of Local 121 and Bayberry Beer Hall. Highlighting the farm’s produce along with locally sourced meats, dairy, and grains, Dave will create a seasonal menu for you to enjoy with old friends and new friends alike. Sign-ups start in April for this unique and tasty brunch.

Cohasset’s only working farm is poised for the future with an exciting purchase. Since 2002, the nonprofit Friends of Holly Hill Farm has leased 5.23 acres of farmland from the White family. Thanks to its Keep Our Farm a Farm capital campaign and generous supporters, Holly Hill Farm is now officially transitioning from private family ownership to non-profit stewardship. Celebrate the news at a free event on Saturday, May 2, at Cohasset Common from 11am to 3pm.

Sunshine Gardens in Kingston, long known for its awesome nursery offerings and tasty ice cream, has expanded. Opened this March, Sunshine Marketplace fashions itself as an indoor farm stand and meeting place. Fresh, seasonal produce and a designated floral department anchor the store adjacent to the outdoor garden offerings. The marketplace also boasts interesting condiments and pantry items and rocks an awesome flower bar to build your own arrangements. We can all use more sunshine.

A clinical study found that a probiotic strain, Lactobacillus sakei, may help reduce eczema symptoms in children and teens. Participants who took either live or heat-killed forms of the bacteria for 12 weeks showed measurable improvement in skin inflammation compared with those taking a placebo. Interestingly, even the non-living bacteria helped, suggesting the immune system may benefit from probiotic compounds themselves. The findings suggest probiotics could be a helpful addition to standard eczema treatments.

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