Sweet Peas and Winter Veggies

The sweet peas by the orchard fence added a glorious splash of colour behind the vegetable garden this summer. According to Carolyn Herriot, author of A Year on the Garden Path, this is when I should have been starting my winter vegetable crops in seed flats. Of course we were not that well organized around here (who the heck is thinking of planting seeds when the garden is bursting at the seams?) so that didn't happen. Fortunately, when I went to Carolyn's lovely farm yesterday to talk to her about tomatoes, I discovered I had arrived during her annual winter bedding plant sale!

I came home with a great selection of baby greens, kale, onions, and other goodies and rushed outside to plant them in the beds now empty of peas and summer salad greens. Carolyn assured me that in our mild climate here on the coast, these seedlings will survive just fine without much help and we will have fresh veggies for months to come!