By Peggy Sue McRae, Journal contributor

In case you were wondering how to celebrate President’s Day this year, might I suggest following the time-honored tradition of planting peas on George Washington’s birthday?

President’s Day became official in 1971 when the celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on Feb. 12 and George Washington’s birthday on Feb. 22 were combined as a holiday to honor all American presidents on the third Monday in February. Meanwhile, gardeners continue the tradition of planting peas on George Washington’s traditional birthday.

While I was unable to pin down exactly how it started a helpful librarian informed me, “The tradition of planting peas on George Washington’s birthday does appear rooted in early American agricultural practices and folklore.” And further, “Regardless of how it started, it appears to have been a folk tradition from the time of our founding fathers right up to the present day.”

I was also informed that the Seed Lending Library currently has Lincoln shell pea and Early Frosty shell pea seeds available and was told, “The Grange does refill frequently, so if you come to get some, there may be new varieties by the time you get here!” San Juan Grange #966 provides free garden seeds at the public library as service to our community.

Peas thrive in cool, moist weather, so growing peas on the island should be a snap. Peas were grown here commercially until the mid-1960s. Plant snow, snap or shell peas and don’t forget to plant some sweet peas for their delicate yet hardy beauty and lovely fragrance.

You might want to celebrate Washington’s birthday for several days because on Feb. 23 the Grange will be hosting their third annual “Seedy Sunday” featuring seed swaps, free vegetable, herb and flower seeds, and even a seed-starting workshop. The event takes place from 2-4 p.m. at the Grange Hall, 152 First Street North.

If you long to garden but don’t have the space for it, the Grange has small “pea patch” spots available at the Overmarsh Farm Commons located off Roche Harbor Road on land leased from the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank. In the spirit of Eleanor Roosevelt’s Victory Garden, the Overmarsh project aims to promote local food resilience and security.

Who was this man we call the father of our nation and why celebrate his birthday? Washington was an 18th-century gentleman, frontiersman, war hero and a man who went through so many fierce battles unscathed it seemed to indicate he had a destiny to fulfill. He was our first and non-partisan, unanimously elected president of the United States.

Washington defined the American presidency. He was so well respected he could have created a more king-like role for himself but he didn’t. Having fought a bloody war against authoritarian rule he established a presidency that would persevere over time by regularly relinquishing power. Thank you, George Washington! Now go plant some peas.

Resources:

San Juan Grange #966 – https://sanjuangrange.org/

Presidential Podcast – https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/presidential/

Master Gardener Foundation of San Juan County – https://www.mgfsjc.org/