Late April Garden Update

This is the sixth year I am growing vegetables, yet I am still awed by the growing process.

The peas I planted three weeks ago just germinated (photo, right). The seedlings are no taller than an inch or two, but there is enough green to provide a stunning contrast with the dark brown soil. And to think they turn into huge pea plants is pretty cool.

The bok choy and mesclun greens I seeded the same day as the peas also took, which was a little surprising considering the heavy rains that immediately followed that planting.

In addition, most of the seeds I planted two weeks ago have appeared. The recent sun definitely helped the seedlings of radishes, arugula, purple kale, spinach, broccoli rabe and more mesclun poke above ground.

The beets and Swiss chard from that day didn’t take, though, so I just seeded more of those two, along with scallions, carrots, turnips, mustard greens, various flowers, zucchini, yellow squash and more carrots, lettuces and radishes.

I’ll keep seeding throughout the spring, summer and fall, providing a constant supply of food. I still have to plant cucumbers and string beans, but I’ll wait for the soil temperature to warm several degrees. Tomato plants will follow after that.

As I’ve mentioned, I think it’s great to get children involved in a garden so they can learn how food grows and tastes. Friends recently brought their four-year-old son, who had a busy day lifting sod, getting his face planted in the soil by his father and seeing what happens when a worm is cut in half.