We
came back from vacation to a warm, cloudy sky. The lawn was long and buds crowded the trees. The first thing I did was walk over to
the garden and see the seedlings. The
peas were up, as were the lettuces.
The collards were only started.
No sign of turnips. But the
peas were up.
I
planted the peas – and the rest – in mid-March, which in Vermont is the same as
saying I had Christmas in mid-November.
It’s just not done. In a
normal year, even a good year, I’d be turning the garden and planting the
hearty seeds no earlier than now. Well,
it’s not a normal year.
I
weeded, pulling tree shoots and dandelions out of the beds. I rolled the tractor out of the barn
and filled it with gas and mowed. Ennis
and I went for a run, shorts and t-shirts.
The
temperature has dropped – fell like paint off a ladder – and it is now cold and
wet. A steady rain for a day and
more now. The lawn velvet green,
beautiful, as close as our yard gets to golf course. Our lawn, mowed out of primordial hay field and never
treated with anything more than dog doo and the occasional back yard pee.
I
spent a rainy Sunday starting seeds inside. Basil, eggplant, tomatoes (lots of tomatoes), hot
peppers. I negotiated a space in
the house for my potted seeds. I researched
the price of screened topsoil. I sourced
some composted manure.
Although
spring came early this year – way early – I still can’t put anything else out
because we could – probably will – still have a frost. I’ll tend the seedlings inside, turn
the beds, weed what’s planted and wait for memorial day, when everything else
will likely go in.
We’ll
have sugar snap peas in May, though.
I’ll plant a second crop and we’ll have peas through most of the
summer. It is not normal but I could
get used to it.
David Rocchio lives, works and writes in Stowe, Vermont. (c) 2012 David Rocchio
