This Way To Spring

Early tomatoes and peppers have been planted in flats, and the early greens have been transplanted into cell paks to go out soon. Peas are up. Tomorrow it's supposed to snow again. Sigh.

It's also time to work on my succulents. We sell them at plant sales in April and May. They are called sempervivums or hens and chicks, and sedums. Everyone's grandma used to grow them in pots beside the door or around the mailbox. They are the ideal pot plant, hardy enough to stay outside all winter in their pots, snow, freezing cold and all. I'll be writing a lot more about them in the coming weeks. I'm potting them up by the hundreds in our pavilion.

Peas if you Please

I have planted broccoli and cabbage in flats and it's coming up. Beets and spinach seeds are planted in the field. They got a lovely covering of snow which has melted, giving them needed moisture and a little nitrogen. Soon they'll be poking up. Two days ago I planted peas in cell packs in the greenhouse. Usually peas are direct seeded in the ground, but I do it this way because we've had problems with a little root maggot that eats the pea seeds even before they germinate. In the greenhouse the seeds come up quicker and we avoid the maggot problem. They don't stay in the packs long, just until they've developed a bit of root and a few leaves, then out they go into the garden. Once they have roots established the maggots can't harm them. If you have trouble getting pea seeds to germinate, give this method a try. Today I planted more flower seeds: a second round of feverfew to stagger the bloom, purple and rose magic dianthus, some campanula for my rock garden and jewels of opar talinum which makes a nice bouquet filler.