Going through seed catalogues is something I reserve for those winters days in which I begin to question the wisdom of our decision to live year-round in upstate New York. These catalogues, with their glossy photographs of endlessly sunny days and gorgeous garden beds spilling over with ripened veggies and flowers in full bloom, are just the sort of thing that makes another day of grey skies and forecast yet more snow somewhat more bearable.

I place my seed orders in January and start sketching out the new season’s planting schedule; then I wait for the day when all the snow has melted away at last, and the ground has defrosted enough to allow for planting.

That day arrived this past Tuesday. Unfortunately, it was a blustery day which made removing the covers off of the raised beds somewhat tricky. The earth was loose enough to rake through with fresh compost, and in went peas, kale, and spinach. I’ve never grown peas before, mainly because I was intimidated by the trellising required to allow them to grow properly. But, thank you internet, I learned that smaller tomato cages work really well for peas, too, so in went two varieties.

By Friday, it promises to be warm enough to begin seeding trays of flowers and vegetables I can plant later. Those catalogue photographs will have the chance to come to life right here in my garden, and that is a good thing.