Letters to Gardening Friends, March 22, 2010

Dear Dee and Mary Ann and Gardening Friends Everywhere,

These early spring days are exciting times in my garden right now!

Last week, I planted peas right on schedule on St. Patrick’s Day. This year I went a little wild with the peas and planted three types of shelling peas – ‘Green Arrow', ‘Progress’, and ‘Lincoln”, along with some snow peas called ‘Melting Sugar’.

I also sowed seeds for three varieties of sweet peas, Lathyrus odoratus – ‘Pastel Sunset’, ‘Bouquet Blend’, and ‘Wedding Blush’, all from Botanical Interests. I mixed them together intentionally before I sowed them so when they bloom I will have no idea which is which and if I prefer one over the other. Oh, well, I’m sure I’ll like them all. I always do. I think more people should grow sweet peas, for the scent alone, so I decided to write about them in my newspaper column this week.

I also sowed seeds for spinach. Three varieties, again – ‘Space’, ‘Pelican’, and ‘Bordeaux’.

Later this week, I’ll sow seeds for lettuce and then when the moon begins to wane, I’ll plant radishes and onion sets.

Outside of the vegetable garden, I managed to find some time to do some clean up some of the perennials and enjoy more early spring blooms, like the dwarf daffodils pictured above. When  I'm working around  in the garden, and even when I'm not, I think about the garden designer I’m working with, wondering what the plan she is working on will include. I hope to hear from her early this week to set up a time to look at the plans for the first time. In the meantime, I’ve been reading the book she left for me when she came by last week to study the garden a bit more.

I hope you both had a good week and are getting a good start in your own gardens!

Hortifully yours,

Carol

P.S. – After I planted peas in my own garden, I planted peas for my sister and her husband in their garden the next day. I am the designated gardener in the family, so they call on me for help when they are in a pinch looking for some gardening help. I was happy to do it for them. I also took my mom a copy of the March issue of Indianapolis Woman magazine to show her the feature on gardeners, which includes a bit on me and my self-proclaimed world’s ugliest tomato. Remember when I grew that?