Today I’m out in the garden getting us rolling for the growing season—topping off raised beds with fresh compost and putting up trellises for our spring green peas. Those beds sure do settle; last year I was hauling three and four wheelbarrows per bed, and even now a couple beds are still a good 4–6 inches low. We set cattle panels on T-posts (might be overkill for peas, but I may leave those trellises for whatever comes next), and we talked through the biggest thing with peas: they ain’t like green beans. They won’t grab just anything—your trellis has to be right in their line of sight. We planted Green Arrow peas and another variety (Sugar Daddy), and I soaked them overnight because we used to have terrible germination. Since we started soaking and watering them in good, our peas have done a whole lot better. Raised beds also let us work even when the ground’s too wet to touch, which is a big deal this time of year. We also made a new carrot bed in an old cracked Rubbermaid trough (holes drilled for drainage), planted carrots shallow, and I explained why you’ve got to keep carrot seed moist until it sprouts. Then we finished up with beets—because I’m wanting pickle beets again—and I noticed the peach buds swelling a little too early, which usually means trouble if a hard cold comes back through.