In The Garden

Peas love to climb, and these portable hog panels, secured by stakes, give their tendrils purchase. They need a little help, though, to find the wires. Sometimes they head for the straw mulch, giving me a new understanding of the expression, "grasping at straws."



The old hand tiller belonged to Dennis's father and is a humdinger for uprooting weeds and loosening the soil for planting. Here he is preparing planting beds for beets, which will line both sides of the aisle that separates the spring and summer garden areas. In the background are a lodi apple tree, the two cold frames, gooseberry bushes, and a stock tank where we will plant Swiss chard.

Broccoli and shallots are dependable crops for us. I freeze lots of broccoli for winter soups. Shallots keep well and last until spring, when we replant the remaining bulbs. We've kept these shallots going for four years now. I bought the original bulbs at the grocery store and planted them. The onions in the third row aren't anything to brag about. They started as plants from a nursery and very quickly wanted to make seeds. Phooey on them.

The broccoli is planted in rusty old coffee cans that we've used for decades. While the plants are tiny the cans protect them from wind damage. We just leave the cans in place until the broccoli has finished producing. We have some new coffee cans that are too shiny, but a year of sitting out in the weather will tame them.

Bare-looking earth in the background has just been planted with beans, carrots, and corn. That area also includes volunteer potatoes and sunflowers. We just let them be.