We have snow again which is perhaps more discouraging for the gardener than the plants. The plants are determined to grow. Perennials are pushing up through the winter mulches. Young salad plants are thriving in the greenhouse. And the buds on the plums are plump and almost ready to pop. The energy of the plants is a welcome contrast to the grayness of the sky.

The sweetpeas seed is huddled in the cold ground. Sweetpeas can handle cold soil, so I expect they will be up soon. Not quite all the sweetpea seed is planted. The Seattle PI ran an article on sweetpea culture. At the end of the article, Renee of Renees garden seeds recommended ‘April in Paris’ as the most fragrant variety. The statement caused a run on ‘April in Paris’ seed. Like so many others, I hurried to the nursery to buy this fragrant wonder. The well stocked seed rack had a gaping hole where the seed packets had been. I was assured by the nursery staff that they had reordered the seed. Sure enough, a week later, I received the call that my treasured seed packet was in. Before I could get there to pick it up, a friend gave me a pill bottle with a dozen ‘April in Paris’ seeds. Once I pick up the seed packet, I’ll have more than I need. I’ll just have to hand the seeds out to other friends in need of a fragrant sweet pea, cream colored with a lavender trim to the petals. Really, this is a plant will transform the neighborhood!