peas in a pod....

peasinapod
Originally uploaded by triviaqueen

If you've seen Ratatouille, you'll recall a scene where the taste of a certain food transports a person back to their childhood; fresh peas totally have that effect on me. There is not much I like better than fresh peas from the garden -- though fresh carrots, rinsed under the garden hose come pretty close. Both of those are foods I ate from our garden as a child.

My parents had a large vegetable garden for many years at the back of our property growing everything from asparagus to zucchini, but as a kid, I was fond of the basics. I'd like to say I learned a lot about gardening back then, but really I wasn't paying much attention. It wasn't until I was living in a basement suite with a back yard that I gave gardening a whirl. I immediately took to it; watering the plants in the morning, before work really grounded me. I stood there, breathing in the fresh air with the hint of damp earth, and felt like I was part of the whole cycle of it all.

I'm still amazed at every little thing my gardens produce; especially with my very haphazard, laissez-faire gardening methods. Now, though, kiddo is paying attention, and is helping with the garden. She feels like these are her peas, and she pointed out her lettuce, her carrots, her radishes... because she helped to plant them, and sometimes remembers to help water them.

Maybe she can help me pick out some winter vegetables to try and maybe this year I can manage a winter garden. Until then, I'll be enjoying my fresh peas and carrots.