Planting peas

Early pea planting in my garden is a dicey proposition. If peas don’t go in early enough they will not have time to mature before the beds are needed for summer crops. But the weather must cooperate; ideally a few dry days, followed by a day of rain and then some sunny days to keep the soil warm so the seed does not rot in the ground. Not much to ask from capricious February!

Unbelievably the weather has been mild, though without rain. Mega snap peas, such a hit last year, and Dakota, a shelling pea that matures in 57 days, are in the ground. The long promised rain has failed to materialize and I have had to water but the sun has provided enough warmth and I expect to see sprouts soon.

Planting shell peas is a luxury. A great deal of space is needed to provide enough peas for a few meals but the flavor is so special when picked fresh and cooked right away.

Besides, planting peas is the first outdoor gardening task of the season. The beds, dug and planted, look tidy and usually inspire me to prepare a bed for the lettuce seedlings, which will be big enough to go out in a couple of weeks.

The domino effect in gardening is never more evident than in this early spring. The pea planting brings on the lettuce bed preparation. But the rosemary must be pruned to increase light to the lettuce. Yikes, are those hollyhocks I see under the rosemary? They must be moved. But the preferred spot is choked with vinca, which must be removed to the last hair-size rootlet.

And so it went the entire morning. Pea domino hits lettuce domino hits rosemary…. But these first early spring tasks provide an opportunity to get reacquainted with the garden. And as it is with old friends, a few months absence dissolves immediately. In no time I found myself back in that serene mindful balance that garden puttering seems to foster.It feels good to be back!