In The Garden — St. Patrick’s Day, Green Peas, Potatoes And Pansies
By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON
Master Gardener
SYRACUSE — Every year around the middle of March and as part of our St. Patty’s Day celebration, we plant snow peas and set potatoes in the ground. Some save planting potatoes for Good Friday.
The Irish shamrock, Trifolium dubium also known as Lucky Charm plant, was used by Ireland’s patron saint as a metaphor for the Christian Holy Trinity. The purple or iron cross shamrocks grown from a pip or rhizomatous bulb are oxalis or lucky charm species. Red clover, grown for forage, which our bees love is trifolium, or trefoil, pretense. Sometimes the four-leaf is a rare variation of the first appearing common three-leafed clover. Four-leaf white clover, trifolium repens, is one example. In most cases the trefoil leaves grow early on and if some change to a four-leaf you are one lucky person in 10,000 to find such a leaf.
Pansies too, in containers by the door, are a good addition to your celebration of “Erin go Braugh” and also the Bicentennial birthday of Indiana 1816-2016. Pansies may loose their blossoms from frost or freezing dew but the roots will survive and produce more blossoms. The “free from freeze” date May 15 for northern Indiana zone 5 may be unpredictable.**
The premise for these plantings is based on the fact that these cold root species can do well if mulched and kept watered. There may be frost or dew that freezes but because their fruit develops under ground it can grow safely.
Red Pontiac seed-spuds and Snow peas are good varieties to consider. Remember it is the “eye,” in the potato, that grows. Because of potential harm from amenities that may be used in commercial growing do not use potatoes bought in the supermarket. After planting pea seeds and seed-spuds use a good cover of leaf mulch, water them in and keep them moist. Some may want to soak the peas to get them jump started. It depends on your zone. Our zone 5 doesn’t need to be soaked, it is best if they respond to the environment and sprout naturally when temperatures reach 75 degrees F.
Our garden, on a slope facing south west, receives adequate sunlight, especially before the deciduous leaves are completely mature. We have only full sunlight after that point four hours per day. If I am not totally wiped out after all the weeding and planting the above, I will plant out my onion sets too.
Depending on where you live, you may find your garden bed is still covered with snow or the soil too frozen to work. Or your home may not have a backyard, luckily, peas and potatoes can be planted in containers, and you can enjoy the harvest on a deck, balcony or sunny windowsill. Then you can decorate it with a shamrock plant available at your local nursery. For more information on container planting peas and potatoes can be obtained from: blog.nwf.org, Elizabeth Scholl.
**bhg.com how to select and grow pansies
Corson is a graduate of Adams Central High School, Manchester University and Ball State University. She and her husband, Ron, were married and enjoyed many years of traveling before they settled at Lake Papakeechie to raise their family. Soon after moving to the Syracuse area, Corson joined the Syracuse/Wawasee Garden Club and then became a Kosciusko County Master Gardener in 2002, the same year she retired from teaching.
“Early on my interest in gardening came from a lineage of farmers and their wives, including three generations of generosity, giving me an enormous collection of heritage trees, shrubs and flowers. History and traveling has given me special interest in native flowers, hosta, the art of bonsai and many plants that have been naturalized.”
Individuals who wish to contact Corson for further information or questions may email her at [email protected].