Is growing peas childs' play?

Bunnings has this 'pea package' directed at children which emphasises how simple it is to grow peas. If it is mere child's play, how come it is so hard?

I have two varieties planted: Snow Peas, and Honeypods. And I seem to be struggling with both. Admittedly, the Honeypods were a case of mistaken identity, as I really wanted Sugar Snaps. Both varieties are trellised up, but with wooden lattice rather than chicken mesh, which I might have to cover the lattice with as the tendrils on the peas are not particularly macho. I water them daily, and have used Dynamic Lifter AND Charlie Carp. I will read up about an enriched nitrogen fertiliser, too.

They require full sun, but the full sun seems to wilt them and brown them. I will persevere, and come the long weeknd, see if I can find some Sugarsnap seedlings to fuss about as well.

Around here

^^ Alannah loves to run and dance around the front garden. We hang the pink cd boom box out the games room window.
^^Alannah and I baked and decorated biscuits for Dada's birthday BBQ. I made meringues for the first time using this recipe.
^^ The front garden is a lovely spot to paint in the early morning.
^^ The driveway is a canvas for drawings of Alannah's family and friends.

Project completed

On Saturday morning, we finally completed the building of the kitchen garden.

Almost a tonne of river pebbles had been delivered on Friday. Dada and Alannah loaded them in the wheelbarrow and traipsed to and from the kitchen garden walkways; Ma raked the pebbles into place.









We also harvested our first leaves from the cos lettuce and ate peas straight from the vine.

A potager by any other name

Our deadline (self imposed) was the end of August. We have not quite made it. Darren has another rock border to bed in around the citrus garden. Julie has to weed proof the walkways, and lay some river pebbles. There are four garden beds, and 16 pots, ranging in size. Our kitchen garden is 10.75 m2, plus pots, which must get it close to 13 m2.

And, I have decided not to continue with the dream of a chook pen in the backyard, and to make do with this little beauty instead.

However, we now have these herbs:

Basil
Mint
Chives
Parsley
Oregano
with Rosemary to come.

And these fruits:

Brown Turkey Fig (2)
Black Genoa Fig
Lemon
Mandarin
Lime
Blueberries (3)
Raspberries (2)
Kumquat
Strawberries (13)

And these vegetables:

Beetroot
Snowpeas
Sweet corn
Radish
Carrots
Tomatoes (3)
Butterbeans
French Beans
Shallots (second crop planted)
Garlic
Cos Lettuce
Iceblock Lettuce
Snap Peas
Celery
Brown Onions
Spinach
Cucumber (Lebanese)
Capsicum (Red)
Zucchini

Kitchen garden planting

Ma has discovered she can catch the bus from the end of our street directly to Bunnings. And Ma let loose in Bunnings means that there has been a planting frenzy in our kitchen garden.

Darren finished the final two garden beds about two weeks ago, just before he succumbed to the virus that swept through our household (except for Ma). All that remains is to do a rebuild of the citrus garden with the boulders unearthed from his driveway expansion (more on that later) and to finish off the walkways of the kitchen garden with pebbles. Ma has this Nepean River gravel in mind.

And so it was time to plant the second large vege bed, the sandstone bed, and myriad pots of assorted shapes and sizes.



^^ That's capsicum in the blue pot and zucchini in the terracotta pot.



^^ And here are the Lebanese cucumbers.



^^ There are a few pots of sweet corn.



^^ These snowpeas are in the sandstone garden bed.



^^ There are also beetroot in the sandstone bed.



^^ In the middle there are French butter beans and French green beans, between the cherry tomatoes and the cos lettuce planted a week or two ago.



^^ Did you know baby iceberg lettuce are called iceblock lettuce? No really!

The baby carrots, cherry tomatoes and cos lettuce were planted a week or two ago and the rest yesterday. Radishes are also germinating on cotton wool and will be ready for planting soon.

Alannah helped to water the garden today and, I gather, did an excellent job of watering the driveway.