I was standing out in the garden and noticed I was surrounded by blooms from the pea family of plants.
My initial thought was, “oh good, the Leguminosae family has arrived. Oh wait, not Leguminosae like I learned in college, now it’s Fabaceae. Leguminosae, Fabaceae, does it really matter-a?
Maybe not.
What matters is their blooms have shown up in my garden.
The common peas, Pisum sativum, started blooming earlier this week in the Vegetable Garden Cathedral. I’m growing the variety ‘Green Arrow’, obviously.
Nearby, a native wisteria is starting to drip with blossoms.
This particluar wisteria is Kenturcky Wisteria, Wisteria macrostachya. It has a lovely, soft fragrance. I trained it to twirl up a post and then “let” the flowers hang down. I say let because I don’t really have much control over it.
And guess what else from the Leguminose-Fabaceae family is blooming in my garden?
Clover.
That’s right. Clover.
Trifolium repens, actually. Dutch white clover. It’s growing all through the lawn, on purpose. I sowed seeds for it in the lawn. On purpose.
This particular patch, however, is actually in a path in the Vegetable Garden Cathedral, not on purpose, but not hurting anything really, so I’ve left it. I’ll cut it back some to keep it a little bit in check.
Over in Plopper’s Field, False Indigo, Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’ is blooming.
And just a little ways down from it, Baptisia ‘ Caroline Moonlight’ is trying to get some attention, too.
I wonder if it notices a Clematis vine is trying to grow up through it? The clematis is in my other favorite plant family, Ranunculaceae.
Finally, in a container on the patio, I’m growing a new pea variety, ‘Masterpiece’.
See those tendrils? Those are edible, and the pods will be edible and the peas, too. A trifecta pea.
The flowers in there with those peas? Violas, which are in my other favorite plant family, Violaceae.
I love it when a lovely family, like Leguminosae-Fabaceae, comes to my garden, or at least makes itself known all at once.
I wonder which family will show up next?
You have a lovely garden. I tried to link to your garden party but could not do the photo part. Your garden is lovely!
But why is the pea family not showing up at my house here in central Ohio? My sugar snap peas decided not to show up this year, even though the spring has been mostly cool, and I know they like it like that! Now what will happen when the sugar snap pea eating Yeti (me) shows up in my garden?
Moonlight is about finished in my garden. The darned peas in my veg garden aren't doing much at all. Boo hoo. It is so nice that all the families are getting along in your garden. No Hatfields and McCoys.
No peas yet here, perennial or garden. Patience is a virtue, isn't it?
It really should be called Master-pea-ce. Welcome to the Pea Family!
Masterpiece peas. They were so lovely with the violas. I will have to look into them for next year!
Yay, another clover fan! I planted peas to eat but neglected to plant ornamental peas this year.
Snap peas are sweet, crunchy, and delightful crude or cooked, they are a standout amongst the most magnificent nourishments of spring. Here is an orderly guide for developing your own one of a kind snap peas from your natural patio garden.