You know it's the peak of summer in Olympia when all the couches have sprung. They appear in front lawns, in alleys and on street corners - loveseats, davenports, hide-a-beds - all varieties of couch are in full bloom.

Some are stained.

Some are cushion-less.

Some couches are in near-perfect condition.

Some are littered with beer cans and garbage.

Some have signs stating they're free.

Some couches are occupied by folks - surprised they could sit in an empty lot - with feet crossed and basking in the sun.

And each of these couches is beautiful - bleached by weather, patterned with flowers, or cigarette burns, perhaps with the loving scratch of a passerby cat.

We adore Olympia and her blossoming of summertime couches.

Please enjoy the following gallery of Olympia couch beauties ... and the world's ugliest, but most comfortable, chair.

>>> Quince Street on Olympia's eastside

>>> Capitol Way, Near Wildwood and close to Vic's Pizzeria, Spud's etc.

>>> This one is on Phoenix Avenue by Skateland.

>>> Here's another couch on Phoenix Avenue by Skateland.

>>> Here's a couch from Olympia's South Capitol Neighborhood.

>>> I found this one on Legion Way.

>>> I can't remember where I snapped this photo. My guess is somewhere in Lacey.  I was so dumbfounded by its beauty.

Need a nesting box or bulk feed for your backyard chickens? How about beekeeping supplies for your small farm? Maybe you need some soil or seed for your raised garden beds. Perhaps you want to learn about making cheese.

All this and more is now available at the recently opened Eastside Urban Farm and Garden Center in the old Curtis Lumber Building in Olympia. Olympians Brighida DeVaras and Michelle and Billy Jackson opened the 10,000-square-foot space March 3.

"We're catering to small farms and urban farms," says DeVaras. "There's just a real need for feed and garden. A lot of people are sick of going to Lowe's and buying fruit trees from California that die in a couple years."

A walk-through tour, which the staff is providing for newcomers, shows shelving made of re-purposed palettes, and thoughtfulness in every product: Dog food, horse supplies, heirloom non-GMO seeds, cheese-making kits, canning supplies, live chicks, garden beds and greenhouses, soil amendments, tools and so much more.

Soon, the back lot, which also doubles as extra parking, will have a nursery and edibles plants for sale, including 400 fruit trees and 1,000 berry vines, plus more. A bulk soil section allows shoppers to handle the dirt before purchase. Also in the works are more animals for purchase, including quail and meat rabbits.

Toward the back, an education room complete with tables and seating offers reference books to thumb through while shopping, as well as a space for classroom sessions. The topics will range from gardening, to food preservation to poultry care.

"We're offering a lot of different classes ... the full gamut," laughs DeVaras.

The first of three classes on Organic Gardening (spring session) is noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 15. The cost is $10 per session, $20 if you register for all three. Pre-registration is encouraged, but drop-ins are welcome.

For more information, visit eastsideurbanfarmandgarden.com.

EASTSIDE URBAN FARM AND GARDEN CENTER, 2326 Fourth Ave., Olympia, 360.972.2933.