EARLY ACTION IN THE GARDEN:

Mid-March, and things are starting up. The mint is coming up, and I helped it along by digging up most of the old roots from last year and planting short (4-inch) strips of sprouting runners at intervals in the area to which I try to confine most of the mint. You end up with much more productive plants this way than if you just let the old plants keep on from year to year.

Also planted fava beans. I usually do this in the fall but failed to get around to it last year. But spring-sown favas mature only a couple of weeks later than fall sown ones -- obviously the seeds germinate and grow much faster in the spring -- so it's not a big deal. This year I'm planting my favorite, small-seeded variety, Sweet Lorane, as usual, but also the Italian large-seeded variety, Aquadulce (both from Territorial Seeds).

Apart from that, the only sowing I've done so far is a big planter of nasturtiums -- Empress of India, which has red flowers and dark-green leaves: it's much prettier than the usual orange and light-green types, and tastes really great in salads.

Cleaned out last year's Lacinato kale plants -- together with plently of fresh dandelion leaves (never any problem finding those in my garden), the residual harvest provided sides of wilted greens with a couple of dinners over the last week -- and weeded around last year's parsley plants, which will still produce for a whole longer before they bolt.