Dog in the pea patch!

I bought a house 2 years ago, after finding I was lacking two things that a condo couldn’t offer me: a garden and a dog. I am happy to say that I now have both. I can no longer remember life without Dollie, my sweet, floppy-eared, 9 year old basset hound. She has an amazing talent for commanding a room, well developed from her previous life in a rescue home with 10 other dogs vying for the treat when the house mother came home every night. Now, Dollie can put on a major show when I get home, full of glitz and fanfare (aka howling and much jumping around). There would probably be rockets, too, if she had the resources (and the opposable thumbs). Needless to say, she’s a great joy in my life.

As for my other reason for buying a house, I had always wanted a garden but felt that I had less than a green thumb. However, during the start of my first spring a friend suggested that I try to grow peas, which were an easy plant to start out with. To be honest, I was quite surprised when I opened my first pack of pea seeds only to find, well, peas! With pack in hand, I sat down and seriously studied the directions, and then set to work planting my first seeds. I waited several weeks (you plant seeds in February, when the ground is still cold), but finally little sprouts came up, and I had several weeks of the sweetest bounty of peas I ever tasted! That was last year, and now I’m well into this year’s pea season. I might even grow another vegetable when it gets warmer, like tomatoes or onions. I’ve also become a believer that absolutely ANYONE can grow a vegetable. The only pest I have had to worry about so far has big floppy ears and thinks my garden is her own personal sandbox. Thank goodness, the peas seem relatively hardy, and also that she hasn't tried to eat them yet, which is surprising since she'll eat anything from raw sweet potatoes to tea bags.

So, what are you planning for your garden this year? Have you planted anything yet?