popping in

Hello!  I meant to post yesterday, but did not manage to get over here in time.  While I won't be posting regularly due to my growing workload, I'm happy to provide a mid-to-deep south garden glimpse from time to time. 

My garden has changed drastically since last year.  We adopted a second lab in July and then unexpectedly found ourselves caring for a Great Pyrenees in the fall.  My garden shows the strain of three big dogs so I'm limiting my gardening to my front yard raised beds and my galvanized tub planters this year.  And like so much of the country, Memphis had a rough winter and I very sadly lost both of my hives at the beginning of the spring.  They both had plenty of food in their feeders, but no honeystores and they did not avail themselves of the feeders.  I was devastated by the loss and hope to try again next year, unless a swarm just happens to land in my yard the way they did last year.

On my birthday, in mid-March, it was finally warm enough to plant peas.  Everything was still frozen when we usually plant peas and potatoes in February, and my peas are beginning to come in.

 The radishes I planted with them are beginning to bolt, so I set my bowl down to pull the radishes and take them to the chickens (all five girls are fine and laying still, even though the two eldest are five this year!) and discovered that someone else likes peas, too.

Ajax ate half the bowl.  He has always been a veggie-dog.  If I find myself with more peas (two of my big tubs are planted in pea teepees, and they're really just beginning to produce), I hope to pickle peas like I did last year- they were a very nice addition to a cheese tray.  These were quickly rinsed and eaten with my lunch.