Peas in by President’s Day

I called our gardening pal T over to help sight-line the new bare-root trees we picked up on Saturday. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” he demurely whispered as he averted my bulging garden-addled eyes.

The truth to the matter is I’ve not be sleeping well.

Nearly every year, we get one week of sunny weather in February. Most years it warms up enough to wear a t-shirt in the afternoon and THIS WAS IT. Is is coincidence or fate that finds me with a brief lull in contract work, a bad back, and more than willing to boss around a day laborer into ripping out sod and building composting berms with it?

These berms admittedly were not my initial idea, but suggested by the garden guru N as a way to get rid of our sod, while adding height, interest, and way to capture more sun in our yard. I took the idea, and thinking of the Serpent Mound in Ohio I’ve seen, went further with it thanks to the lukewarm go-ahead by garden consultant Mrs. K.P.

As you can see, I am surrounded by enablers.

With Vic’s credit card and a generous gift by M, we now are very much on our way to having the edible garden we dreamed of when we bought the house only a mere three months ago.

Quince, apples, pears, blueberries, raspberries, elderberries, Marion berries, alpine strawberies, salmon berry, thyme, and oregano plants can all be found in our yard now, in addition to a several lovely ornamental plants to add more interest.

Not only is the permanent garden coming into focus after the busy weekend, but the garden boxes are full with the early vegetables, like peas and and a nice plot of arugula. If that were not the sure sign of an well-organized compulsive, I built my first cloche, and under it will soon sprout early lettuces, kale, radishes, cilantro, and even a few seeds we picked up from Monticello.

I’d very highly recommend the Seattle Tilth’s Maritime Northwest Garden Guide. It spells out exactly which variety of which vegetables and flowers get planted when and how. Vic is using it to manage our indoor seed nursery, and I am using it to plant a smarter, more interesting garden. I would have never guessed that now is the time to plant poppies or pink French larkspur.

Next week, the bees leave our fridge and go outside!