Peas on Earth

Last year I got in trouble with my 90 year old grandmother because I tried to plant peas in May - I wouldn't make the same mistake twice.    

Last May I called her to tell her about the progress of the garden, and that I had just planted peas.  "Christopher, what are you doing planting peas in May!  You have to put them in the ground on St Patrick's day!"  Well she was right, and my peas were crap last year.  This year, naturally, I was sure to get the first batch planted on St Patrick's day, and they have been wonderful.  Sugar and snap peas.  I've had 54 total this year, and there are still tons of pink and purple flowers.

Now - since I had gently tilled the soil before I planted the peas - it became immediately clear that the 9 feral cats that torture me would swiftly make this soon-to-be-pea-bed a soon-to-be-cat-shit-bed...so, after two mornings of arriving upon freshly shat cat crap, and pea seeds dug up and strewn about, I laid down chicken wire over both bed, hovering about an inch above the soil, so that they could not get access to the soil.  The peas would grow through the chicken wire, and use it as a support.  So far, so good, and the beds were left unperturded.