“If spring came but once a century instead of once a year, or burst forth with the sound of an earthquake and not in silence, what wonder and expectation there would be in all hearts to behold the miraculous change.”
                                     Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

Hasn't the weather been beautiful! I hope you had a nice Easter holiday.  Hopefully you had some time to get your garden ready to plant.

This is the week to start planting. Remove rocks and large twigs from the garden and give the soil a good raking first. Here are the things that you can safely plant now.

• Peas – St. Patrick's Day is usually the traditional date to plant peas but since we had such a wet winter, I've given the soil some extra time to dry out a bit. Peas should go in the northernmost row of the garden and will need some kind of support as they grow. We'll talk about different ways to support vining plants in a couple of weeks.

• Onions – onion seeds or sets can be started now in the DC area, about mid month in Western PA.

• Root Vegetables – Carrot, radish and beet seeds can be planted now. Work a bit of sand into the square(s) where you're going to plant carrots. Carrots like a nice loose soil.

• Greens – We're okay with the cool weather greens like spinach and Swiss chard and DC residents can put their lettuce in. I'd wait a couple of weeks to seed the lettuce in W.PA.

•  

If you're following the square foot garden method, you should have sixteen 1'x1'squares. Plant two rows of four peas in one square. You can plant sixteen carrot, radish, onion or beet seeds in a square. There should be four lettuce or chard to one square and nine spinach. The attached diagrams should clear up any questions about spacing. Of course, you can plant as many squares of the same veggie as you wish. So if you really love spinach or radishes or beets, don't feel that you have to limit yourself to one square.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me.

Reflection: What could be sweeter than the fragrance of the spring air? Those of you who live or work in the DC area have the wonderful benefit of the cherry blossoms which should be at the height of their season about now. Our gardens, in addition to providing us with the best possible food, help to purify the air and pay homage to the Angel of the Air.

 

"The Angel of Air,

Who spreads the perfume

Of sweet-smelling fields,

of spring grass after rain,

of the opening buds of the

Rose of Sharon.

We worship the Holy Breath

Which is placed higher

Than all the other things created.

For, lo, the eternal and sovereign Luminous space,

Where rule the unnumbered stars,

Is the air we breathe in

And the air we breathe out.

And in the moment betwixt the breathing in

And the breathing out

Is hidden all the mysteries of the Infinite Garden."

                                                                           Essene Gospel of Peace Book Two, page 37

ISN'T THAT LOVELY?

Until next week,

             Peace be with you,

                           Rose Mirabai Lord

 

 

In case you missed any of the previous lessons,
go to www.makegardensnotwar.com,
click onto Angels in My Garden in the left side bar and scroll down to the bottom .

www.makegardensnotwar.com

www.globalcoalitionforpeace.net