Mid-May is the earliest I have gotten my garden planted in many years.

Usually, heavy rains flood the low spot of my yard (my garden!), and either my seeds, which are in the ground, rot; or the young plants that I have started can’t swim and they drown.

Early June is normal planting time at my house. This year, the weather has cooperated—so far.

In the last few days, I finished my raised bed garden and filled it with the planter mix from Filbrun’s.

Immediately, our dog, Oso, had to inspect it and left footprints in the new dirt.

I have fencing to put around it but just hadn’t done it yet. I wrapped the fence around the outside of the garden, leaving about six inches to slip in to plant.

I soon heard Susie yelling at the dog. He had snuck through the narrow opening and was running around inside. She told him to get out as he ran back and forth looking for the opening where he had entered. She finally had to go out and show him the way.

I planted three rows of carrots in one end. I think carrots are just for rabbits (we don’t have those anymore), but Susie likes them.

In the other end, I planted six tomato plants and put cages around them. Susie doesn’t like them, I do.

Then, I planted four rows of lima beans about 10 feet long. I have not raised limas for many years. Again, Susie doesn’t like them, I do.

Tomorrow, I plan on putting my seven large pepper plants I bought inside this garden also. As soon as the luffa sponge plants I started from seed are big enough, they will go in this garden as well.

That still leaves some space for something. I will figure out what soon.

The fence is now up and fastened.

In my big garden (2,500 square feet), I planted 11 assorted tomato plants. These are varieties that grow large tomatoes.

My mom always canned many quarts of tomato sauce and ketchup from her garden. I have never put up tomatoes before but I think I will try this year. I may even dry some in one of our dehydrators.

I then sowed four rows of peas. I really like peas but seldom plant them, because when I should be putting them in the ground, it‘s usually under water.

If I wait until later, it gets too hot for peas.

On both sides of the pea rows, I put a row of sunflower seeds from last year. I planted about 25 seeds last year. The flooding killed all of the plants after they germinated except one sitting on a high spot.

The plant grew 12 feet tall, the single head was 13 inches across, and the seeds were well over one inch long.

I bagged them up and now have several hundred seeds for the neighbor and me to grow.

By the middle of next week, the ground should be dry enough to run the tiller through the next section of garden.

I plan on putting five or six rows of green beans here, and follow up with two or three more rows in a couple weeks.

After I pick and can these, they will make great bartering chips to get my neighbor to do some of my chores for me. His wife loves these beans for her family get-togethers.

I still have a tray of about 50 pepper seedlings I started from seed and three dozen tomato plants.

They are only a couple inches tall, but if they don’t die, I will plant most of the peppers in my new concrete block border and give the tomatoes to my neighbor.

I slice and dry the peppers I grow every year and add them to entrees, chili and anything else.

The grandson likes eating them like apples, so he will get a lot of them. I would use some to make stuffed peppers, but that’s another thing Susie won’t eat.

The author may be reached at [email protected].