Sunday, February 7, 2010

All Strung Out

I shouldn't have believed the pea packets which said the pod peas would max out around 36". They're easily at five feet and reaching. I knew the snow peas were going to climb, so Denise gave me some tall bamboo poles.

Still, they're not just going to climb poles; it's time for some twine. I spent this morning festooning the beds with peas.


There's sort of a charming, "rigged by drunken pirates" feel to it -- and I'm not done. I swear, next year I'm going to knit some kind of twine blanket/screen because what I'm doing isn't working well. And I don't want to use something non-compostable, and the
cut branches I tried for the podding peas worked fine, but weren't tall enough.

Sigh.

All of the Asian greens bolted at once, even the tiny seedlings. Something must have triggered it. I'm just hoping that the rain holds off while the Tat Soi blooms, so the bees can get out there and do their thing. I'd like to gather viable seed from these babies.


Another wonderful thing for the bees to do over the next week would be to visit this tree:


I'd dearly love some apricots this year.

12 comments:

Jeff Vandiver said...

I'm sure granny or someone else has a better idea for keeping the peas in check, but I really don't have any experience with anything besides my trellises. A teepee made from tree branches might work pretty good.....

suzee said...

You're inspiring me. I can't do anything until early May, but that's not too late. Dammit. We will have some homegrown food this summer, if it kills me.

Kalena Michele said...

Very nice peas :)

Susan said...

I have pea envy. Our box is sitting empty and unloved. That last photo is beautiful.

Ribbit said...

Peas have never worked for me. I may try again this fall, however.

Jan said...

We had some apricots last year... and then some roaming dogs or wild pigs ate the last six one night!

kitsapFG said...

My Cascadia Sugar Snap peas are always much taller than the descriptions for the plant would have you believe. I grow them up my trellis supports - so there is plenty of room but if I went by the height indicated as a guide for setting up a grow support - I would be in trouble.

The blooms on the tree look enchanting.

Erin said...

It definitely has a drunken tall ship pirate look, I love it! I will hopefully get to plant my peas later this month, but we have been having some really cold weather this winter and snow, which is very rare, so that might get pushed back a few weeks until March. I have bee envy, it will be awhile before our bees wake up and start visiting!

Ottawa Gardener said...

Beautiful picture of the apricot flower and I love the drunken rigging. You are going to knit something... that has me inspired to do some twine knitting right now for spring because I am not yet planting peas outdoors, nope. As for the brassicas, did they go through a period of cold followed by a quick upswing in the weather? That's supposed to make some of them bolt.

Mr. H. said...

I love the pea trellace and it does look like something pirates might have been involved with. Although I don't believe they are big on gardening. Too bad about your asian greens, that same thing hapens to us every year and is so very frustrating.

Stefaneener said...

EG, a teepee might work. If one could make a slanting trellis, so the peas hung down. . . I think that might work better with beans.

Suzee, there's always zucchini! You'll find time for everything; you always do.

Kalena Michele, thanks for stopping by. They're yummy, but I'm clearly still learning.

Susan, it's not too late for peas! Get that box going so you can enjoy it again.

Ribbit, I wonder if you're not just in a trickier climate.

Jan, that stinks. I had a child pick the last of the green ones last year. It was a bad year for apricots! And they're my favorite.

kitsapFG, I shouldn't have believed anything. Peas are just tall, although the long pod ones are in fact shorties. Go figure.

Erin, I should have linked to Flogging Molly's "Seven Deadly Sins" video. I just hope I don't have to do a whole lot more rigging. The cold will pass, I'm sure.

Ottawa Gardener, I know it's cold cold cold there. If you do the knitting then I'll check it out. I think you're right about the brassicas. We've had such variable weather they were probably triggered.

Mr. H, I don't think I know of any gardening pirates. I'll have to stay unique : ) I'm going to replant those greens and see if I can't get enough to eat. They don't always do this.

Jackie said...

Not sure if it would be the same for you, but my pak choi blooms were delicious. I picked them just before they opened and they tasted like really good broccoli...