Peas and Parsnips

I didn’t get much done outside this weekend.  The weather was great on Saturday, and it seemed like everyone was out enjoying it.  When I took John to the airport, the roads were more crowded than during “rush”-hour traffic.  Sunday had some nice hours after a morning/afternoon of storms.  Still, my disposition for sleeping in or taking afternoon naps leaves me with few warm daylight hours.  It’s starting to feel like spring, but only just starting.

I’m still trying to figure out what can be planted when, but I think this is a reasonable time of year for peas and parsnips.  We grew peas in the garden when I was a kid.  We normally get the big bags of frozen peas and go through a fair amount.  I wouldn’t bother – the frozen are inexpensive, but since I have the empty ground…  Fresh would be a nice change.

I’ve never grown parsnips and only vaguely remember having them in a stew when I was younger.  When we were doing the CSIRO diet, there was a meal plan that had mashed parsnips (like potatoes).  I was surprised how much I liked them.  I planted 3 short rows next to the carrots.

The expiration dates on seed packages general say they’re good for a few years, but I’ve also seen that some types of seeds don’t store well once opened (I think carrots were on that list).  I know one person at work that gardens and one that wants to start an herb garden, so I think I’m going to take some of my seeds into work to see if anyone wants to exchange.