January 1, 2017 – My New Year’s Tradition:  Planting peas – French Style

          Today our high is about 55 degrees.  It rained late last night and we awoke to drizzle.  It has drizzled on and off for most of the day with cloud-cover.  No sight of the sun at all.  No wind either.

          I can’t seem to locate my thin 1900 vintage French Intensive Gardening book.  It is ‘hiding” someplace so I can’t quote what it says, so I have to go by memory. But, more importantly, it was the technique that caught my attention.

About 5 to 7 years ago I read in the French Intensive Gardening book that you should plant “pea seeds” in January.  What was most interesting about the “French Intensive Gardening” instructions was it said to drop two seeds in each hole as it improves the germination.

          Poke a hole to the depth of 2 inches, drop in TWO – yes, TWO pea seeds.  Plant them down a single row – two inches apart.  It seems they germinate better when two seeds are put in the planting hole and they know when they should germinate by the soil temperature.

          I take an unsharpened No. 2 pencil and mark it with a sharpie at the 2 inch point.  I run a line of holes – 2 inches apart and about 1 inch away from the trellis.      Poke the holes, drop the two seeds in and then run the pencil ½ inch away from the holes to ruffle the soil up to cover the holes and tamp it down with the toe of my garden clog.

          When I first tried it the germination was superior and I have done it this way ever since.

          My theory – I think the two seeds “get cozy” in the dark – sort of “love” French style.

          Midday I went out with my No. 2 pencil and my packet of Melting Sugar Pea which I like for pea pods and planted my 1/1/2017 crop.

          It always gives me a kick that I can go out in the garden and plant something here in the South.  From experience, I know the sugar snap peas will come on as they have done for years with great success.

          While I was out there in the drizzle I noticed that the Claytonia perfoliata – which is commonly called “Miner’s lettuce” has sent up seedlings.  Now that we have had some rain – and when it turns a bit warm and sunny, they will spring into growth.  I will update you on that progress.  They are a delightful addition to a salad.  I will tell you more in a future blog.

          And, always on the first day of the new year I walk around my estate and look for something in bloom;  the burgundy red pansies are looking mighty fine with the last few days of rain.

          Lastly, I put my first entry in my 10-year Garden Journal about my peas and the pansies. 

It was a grand start of a new year for this gardener.

I wish you a wonderful New Year of gardening pleasures.