Farmers markets are mostly a fair-weather ritual in frosty Minnesota, but Bachman's has teamed up with the Fulton and Kingfield Farmers Markets to give locavores a new shopping venue.

On Saturday, Jan. 26, and again on Feb. 23, Bachman's will host local growers and vendors selling their wares in greenhouse comfort inside Bachman's Lyndale Garden Center.

The markets, scheduled for 10 a.m.-2 p.m., will feature fresh, locally grown food, both prepared and fresh produce, and locally produced craft, clothing and gift items.

Family-friendly entertainment, food trucks and local beer and wine tasting also will be on site. Bachman's is at 6010 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls.

Ring in the new

Now that the holiday decor is back in storage, does your home seem a little dull? Gabberts is offering a free design seminar, "New Year, New Look," to offer some fresh ideas. Designer Christine Sutphen will illustrate how to use color and accessories to infuse new life into your existing decor.

The seminar will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Gabberts, 3501 Galleria, Edina. Reservations are requested: www.gabberts.com or 952-928-3123.

Fragrance of the year

By now, you've probably heard that Emerald has been declared "Color of the Year" by the hue gurus at Pantone. Not to be outdone, a panel of scent experts recently announced their pick for the hottest trend in home fragrance. It's Violet Leaf, the scent extracted from the heart-shaped leaves of the violet plant.

Unlike the violet flower, which has a sweet, powdery scent, Violet Leaf is described as a gentle fragrance with "watery accents of melon and cucumber." Its "pure expression of nature is the perfect backdrop to unwind and decompress in today's increasingly connected digital world," according to Heidi Thompson, president of Scentsy, the fragrance company best known for its wickless candles, which sponsored the ScenTrend survey. If you want your home to have a fresh, trendy fragrance, Violet Leaf-scented products will be available from Scentsy (www.scentsy.com) starting Feb. 1.

KIM PALMER