The weather-guessers called for another band of rainstorms through here, beginning yesterday, with rain anticipated to fall off-and-on through Sunday. It’s drizzling now, with hope for as much as an inch in the next couple of days.
My little backyard garden will appreciate that, especially if they are right about the winds being absent. Monday’s deluge with 40-mph gusts nearly knocked my peas out of their roots. I tied them up when I looked out and saw the lovely ladies all bent double over their trellises, and they made it through intact with no lasting damage, but I’m sure it was stressful to be blown about like that.
The peas are organic Green Arrow English Peas, from Heirloom Seeds, first time I’ve grown these. They dig the cool temps and made good growth despite the short days, climbing to 4 ft high before dressing themselves with jewel-like white flowers. Now, tiny pea pods dangle like miniature ornaments, promising sweet treats to come.
Gardening in a Mediterranean climate in the winter months is quite extraordinary. It’s a lot like having a second
Spring, with shorter days of course. I shall miss the luxury of growing brocolli and brussels sprouts, peas and lettuce and scallions, beets and kale, through December and January. A better gardener than I could have a continuous supply of edibles for the dinner table with nary a gap in harvests, with careful planning and year-round succession planting.
As it is, I lose track of time, forget to start the next round of seeds, and we suffer the occasional short hiatus from ultra-local, organic home-grown food. But peas are on their way, two plantings spaced 3 weeks apart, the leaf lettuce is filling salad bowls twice a week already, and I have high hopes for my happy brassicas.
It’s raining lightly but steadily tonight, and the garden is soaking it up.
Thistledog's Farm 