Yesterday, I worked on cleaning out the pea bed.
I’m not sure exactly how large it is, but if I had to guess I’d say about 2′ by 30′ or so. Earlier in the spring I planted sugar snap peas, and over the past month we’ve been snacking on them and enjoying the fresh peas in stir fry dishes and on the grill. But the pea party is over.
When I originally planted the sugar peas in the spring, I had hoped they would grow up the trellis I had built, but no suck luck. I planted way to many seeds, and although the plants were healthy and strong, they were crowded, and never seemed to latch on to the trellis.
As I was pulling the vines back, I noticed something peculiar.
A hidden stash of opened pea pods.
It appears that either Scott the Squirrel, or Chippy the Chipmunk had found a secret hiding spot at the base of the vines.
What a bunch of stinkers. Has this ever happened to you? My backyard critters have swiped berries and tomatoes before, but peas? That’s a new one. Who knows, maybe they mistook the peas for peanuts. What do you think? Have you ever had this problem before?
So what’s going in next? Beans, beans and more beans.
- Mayflower Pole Beans
- Dow Guak Footlong Beans
- Tiger’s Eye Heirloom Beans
- CowPea Black Eyed Peas
- Gourmet Baby Greens {I’ll plant these at the base so they’ ll be in the shade}.
This will be my second planting of beans this summer. I already have my first batch planted in 2 garden boxes with some carrots, and they are just getting ready to flower. So hopefully it won’t be too much longer until we can start harvesting those.
So what’s new in your garden? Do you succession plant like I do, or do you just use the garden space once before tilling everything under in the fall?
Oh, and if you’re looking for some tighty whities for your squirrels… Check out these Squirrel Underpants. Amazon has them for about $6 a pair right now.
Kate says
Awesome post! I got home late last night from work to find my 6ft tall peas had crippled the support they were growing on. Ugh. Guess its time for the pea party to be over. Maybe I’ll take a page from your book and throw in some bush beans!
Mavis says
Hey, I meant to respond to your earlier comment, if I decide to pass out veggies in Seattle I’ll send you an email. That would be a hoot!
Kate Gwinn says
Oh the damage we could do… 🙂
Krista says
I’m totally cracking up at the little opened pea pod stash! What the heck? You have some crafty critters around your place, Mavis!
Paula Perez says
I do succession planting, sometimes 3 crops in a year. I do Square Foot Gardening and it teaches to always feed the soil with new compost/manure when you replant and also rotate crops, for example: a leaf (spring spinach), then a fruit (summer tomato) then a root (overwintering carrots).
Mavis says
Cool Beans Paula! Keep up the good work. Growing food year round is pretty cool if you ask me. 🙂
Erin in MI says
Just today, I turned over what had become a terribly overgrown herb bed. I pulled everything except a small plant of garlic chives two basil plants and a very small patch of oregano. It had been severely neglected so needed to be turned over with vengance. I am so happy with it now though. I used some of those white wire squares that you can buildinto “shelves”. You know the kind, they are a pain to put together and if you look at them wrong they start to fall apart. Anyway, they made great layouts for spacing my seeds. It was a perfect grid that I just moved over and over to the new spots. I planted carrots, cilantro, beets, green onions and radishes. My 5 year old helped me dig, my two year old helped me plant and my 4 year old helped me water. It doesn’t get much beter thatn this.
Mavis says
Yay! I love hearing that your kids are helping you in the garden. That’s the best!
Karinna says
I’m trying black beans this year. I bought them from the Olympia Farmers Market. So far, so good.
Lori says
I don’t have my garden going this year. Hope to next year.
However, I did get a pair of squirrel underpants at my in-laws white elephant christmas party last year! I have been trying to find the perfect sized squirrel stuffed toy to put the underpants on. Definitely giving it at this year’s party!
Andrea W says
My dog is the biggest pest for peas in my backyard. We keep a close eye on him during this time of the year otherwise he pulls the vines down and eats all the peas!
Christopher says
Hi Mavis,
I’ve had the same climbing problem with peas over the several seasons I’ve planted them. I’ve planted several varieties (not “bush” varieties), and they have never climbed up the fence I had for them.
Funny about your garden thief. I’ve had a mouse make a hole in the side and eat out the complete inside of watermelon, leaving me only the rind! They also tend to nibble at the beans when they are first coming up. Birds have gotten many a strawberry and tomato from me also, and this year, a rabbit ate the tops of my sweet potatoes. At one time I thought urban gardening would be wildlife-free!
Jaime says
I see that you are growing cowpeas, or blackeyed, I thought they take a long time to grow, maybe we get frost here in Idaho, city of Meridian, sooner than you do. I and one other person are doing a huge garden at our church, I have a smaller one at home, and the BUNNIES are eating our yellow beans, Blasted things, they have the cute factor going for them!!! Our green beans are good and ready to flower. Have you ever grown the cowpeas???
Mavis says
Jamie, I have never grown cow peas before. I am growing them for my neighbor Mrs. Hillbilly. 🙂 When do you typically see frost in Meridian?
Jaime says
You know, I’m not sure. I should, born, raised, live here. I’m hoping for an Indian Summer. I was told they take a long time to grow, that blackeye peas are grown in the south because of the long growing season. I have some my grandpa gave me but didn’t plant them because got the garden in a little late, so didn’t bother until I saw that you were trying it. Maybe I will save them for next year. My melons in the cynder blocks are doing well, expeciall my honeydew! Will send you a picture when they are producing, fingers crossed.