April is an exciting month for the boys. It usually starts off with Aidan's birthday, the drama of our Holy Week traditions, and Easter Sunday. Shortly after, things begin to grow. I have to confess that I get pretty excited as well. Every spring I feel the urgent need to dig in the dirt and breath in fresh air.
All four of our boys love dirt, so when they're asked to help me get the garden ready for planting I get very enthusiastic responses. Generally they start off strong, raking up dead leaves and stalks from last year and carting them off in the red wagon to our brush pile. Then comes the digging, which they also are zealous about in the beginning. (We really need to invest in a tiller, but it is great exercise!) Before too long they're digging trenches and making hills.
I got about a quarter of the garden dug up (via shovel) when my brother and his daughter stopped by. He has the best timing! This is not the first time he has arrived mid-dig with no warning, and as usual, offered to help. Despite my (weak) protests, he took over digging while I raked the soil, and he ended up doing the rest. Otherwise, it probably would've taken me two days to finish.
Almost forgot to snap the "after" shot!
A couple days later my Dad (bless him) stopped by with his tiller and worked in some lime and organic fertilizer. "Wow, that worked up really nice!" Dad said. Yes, Dad, yes it did. Thanks to my brother and the trusty shovel! After the rain of this weekend, tomorrow we'll be able to plant some of the early plants. The boys are excited to start watching for baby veggies sprouting!
The seed box
This month for our science project, we grew beans. You can look at all sorts of charts and illustrations, but nothing compares to seeing the real thing! It especially helps the boys to see how fast a tiny little seed becomes a plant. I simply took an old pickle jar, lined the inside with damp paper towels, and slid a pole bean between them and the jar.
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I told Aidan (our child who has a phobia of any green food) that we were growing them in the house so we could pick fresh green beans straight from the table for him. He was not a fan of the idea.
Are you growing a garden?
I had a garden a long time ago, it was when I was babysitting my nephews for the summer. They are in their mid-twenties now. Anyway, the oldest of the two would come in the house and hit the couch to get more sleep. Me and Casey, on the other hand, would run out to the garden to weed and see what progress was being made.
ReplyDeleteI will never forget the first cucumber we found in the garden! I have pictures of it, several pictures of it and still remember it like yesterday. You know how things blend in and you don't see them until you see them??? (does that make sense?) Well, this huge cucumber was right at my feet and Casey spotted it. We screamed and hugged and danced and went nuts trying to find more. lol
My neighbor grew tomatoes and once asked me why I didn't go to the farmers market to get starter plants for my veggies and herbs. I told him that I am like a big child, I loved planting a teeny, tiny, seed and watch it become a healthy plant that provided me such goodness. I asked the question....."how does all that fit in the seed??" lol ;)
It's funny that you posted this today because I was realizing that when I first got married I loved being outside in the garden, or going for walks, and just being outside. My husband (now ex-husband) did not like those things. He did, however, like the food from the garden.
Anyway, because he didn't like them, I stopped doing them. Guess what? He is now dating a girl that loves the outdoors and he is loving it too. I was wondering today how his back suddenly got better when we got divorced.
Also, I am reminded of something I read or heard a long time ago: "Don't stop doing what you love, for the one you love, because if you do, he will end up finding somebody just like you before you changed for him." Funny huh?? lol
And to top it off, he is acting like it is a "new" thing to him; like he had never heard of gardening, camping, swimming in ponds, or grilling out until he met this woman. I really don't know what to say about myself except that I am going to dig up some earth tomorrow and plant myself a small garden....get back to my roots and remind myself of what I love.
You have inspired me to do this! Thank you!! :) (sorry if I got off subject--but it came around-I think it is all related, somehow)
I'm happy for you, MB! I've never felt healthier than when I'm outdoors, so I hope you are successful at returning to your roots! It's easy to forget who we are when we're busy trying to please others. Keep me posted on your gardening adventures!
DeleteI can't wait to get off this truck and start my veggie garden,I have about 100 different things I wanna try t grow LOL. I've already got 3 different types of heirloom tomatoes I got for free off Amazon, hoping that out of 100 seeds i can get afew plants to grow, never started with seeds before always just brought the plant from the store. Looking forward to trying something new !!
ReplyDeleteHope you have luck with the heirloom tomatoes! That's how my parents plant theirs. They always end up with 30-40 tomato plants a year. :)
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