Planting Peas

Finally! After a week of preaching to plant your peas, I FINALLY have my first round in the ground. Thom gave the thumbs up to expand the garden from grow boxes to an actual chunk of yard this year, so I had a bit of a struggle determining where to plant without creating a roadblock for my grand plan...

Yeah...I realize it's a stretch, but some elements in this photo I want to apply to my backyard and with just a few more years….maybe…just maybe...

Back to peas- Quite a few people choose to skip peas, and understandably so. You don’t receive a huge yield for all the space and effort it takes to grow; however, peas to me bring spring just a little closer. Plus, what a delight to taste a sweet treat from your garden at the end of May. 

Soaking pea seeds the night before gives a boost to your growing success.

For now, my peas occupy a random flower bed in my driveway, yes my driveway. The three flower beds on the side of the driveway are quite neglected and need to be put to use. Surprisingly, after tilling the ground, the dirt is actually in good shape. 

After poking holes with my finger about an inch deep and a couple inches apart, I dropped the seedlings in the indent and softly stroked soil over the top. A bonus to the driveway beds is how close they are to a chain link fence creating a perfect climbing space for peas.

For those whose gardens are ready for planting- take a few minutes this weekend to plant some spinach, carrots, beets, cabbage, kale, leeks, lettuce, potatoes, or other cold crops and you'll be feasting this May/June. 

If you’re like me, and still not prepared, you can start some seeds inside under a regular fluorescent light. Lucky for us, there are a few extra fluorescent fixtures in our home to steal. 

Soon, I’ll post my indoor growing system.  Again, my friend Larry was my inspiration for starting plants inside. It seems more difficult than it really is, and the satisfaction of starting from seed is well worth the few minutes to setup.