Planted in April 2006, they were slow to sprout (as warned) and, by summer, the zucchini and bush beans took off and the parsnips were left in their shadows. Winter came and the weather wimpy zucs & beans left for a Mexican vacation. Parsnips saw their chance and they are happily growing more every day now. Don't think the roots are of any size yet, as I pulled one crowding his neighbor. From this point, when do you think they'll reach harvest size? Fall 2007 or some time this summer?
Last Oct., I decided to plant a few garlic and onion starts. But, then the rains and frost and snow and rains kept me out of the garden. Finally, in February, feeling sorry for the sprouting garlic in the little bag, I planted every one of them that seemed alive. The six roughed up places in the photo above? Yes, the onions are now sprouting in their little bag! So, right time or not, out they went last weekend to some wider areas among the garlic plantings.
This is not unlike how I also ended up with a number of perennials stuck in the vegetable beds: (1) Have sweet little starts from someone/somewhere desperately needing contact with soil, (2) have nicely dug up vegetable beds just waiting for their spring plantings, (3) oh, let's just let the sweet little perennials hang out in the veg. beds and we'll move them "later," (4) enjoy the flowers in with the vegetables and call it all "planning" as they bring in the good bugs and confuse the bad bugs!