In the Garden :: Day 1

Last weekend marked the first day I finally got into the garden and got something planted.  And I only got peas into the ground too!  My grandfather always says peas should be in the ground by Lincoln's birthday.  I missed that.  But luckily it snowed so it made for a great excuse to have missed that date.

The big joke in the family is about how anal I am with the layout of the garden.  But I thrive on order.  And as much as they make fun of me, it looked so lovely last year that I have heard a lot less fuss during this planning stage!

Before!  Loads of rocks floated to the surface during the rainy winter.

The peas soaked in water over night to encourage germination.  Peas can struggle to germinate, but soaking them for even a few hours in cool water helps significantly.  

My helper.

Plant pea seeds 2" apart and place the trellis on the INSIDE of where the peas are planted.  Don't forget to mark what you have planted too.  I use metal tags instead of relying on a permanent marker.  I've found the Seattle climate can't seem to keep permanent marker on any surface for the whole season.  Metal tags allow a ballpoint pen to leave an imprint which stays for ever!

Planted!  I mark the paths with cedar shavings.  They are perfect for keeping a path well marked and biodegrade into the dirt.  We actually end up adding more chips to the paths once or twice during the season.  At the end of the year, we till the chips into the dirt and they disappear completely.  

This coming weekend I'm going to try to get everything else in the ground.  Pray that the weather stays sunny so I'm not trying to plant in the rain!  I know I'll be alone then!