While We Were Gone

The kids and I just returned from two weeks in the Midwest. Lily and Jasper got to spend time with Greg's mom in Michigan while I did a Tour de Ohio.  I missed my kids, Greg and our goofball, Dizzy like crazy, but I also missed my garden. The garden is so many things for me; it's calming, therapeutic, sensory, ritual, and promise.

And while we were gone it went crazy!  I always think it needs my daily minute attention in order to flourish, but really it just needs sun and a bit of water.

My Touch of Class roses bloomed!  I've been waiting and waiting for them after a rough spring when Dizzy destroyed several of the main stems, but it recovered nicely and is lovely. It has a hint of spice to it and I got to see it by moonlight the first night we got home .

The sunflowers bloomed while we were away and they also grew a few feet. Seriously, some of them are over eight feet tall and still growing.

I actually have one nice looking tomato, which, for all you Ohioans is nothing, but I'm quite proud.

No surprise about the zucchini and yellow squash going crazy, but it still surprises me how quickly the leaves get huge.

Even the broccoli, beans and marigolds we planted from seeds look great.  And then there's my favorite, garlic. Greg picked most of it before we got home, but he left a few to bloom. I just love the way they look when they bloom.

Greg and Lily took some pictures of the garden too; Lily even used my Nikon and did a pretty good job.

You can tell how absolutely thrilled Jasper is to be back in the garden! It's a good thing he's cute!

Seed Experiments in the Garden!

 I found this great book from the library called Backyard Biology: Investigate Habitats Outside Your Door with 25 Projects by Donna Latham, Illustrated by Beth Hetland. 

It's part of the Build It Yourself series by Nomad Press. And I LOVE IT!  This book is full of facts, trivia and fun projects to encourage kids to explore living things in their own backyards, neighborhoods and parks.  

What I immediately liked about it, just from a quick skimming through at the library, was its ease of use for me as a parent to help my kids learn about biology with highlighted vocabulary, simple drawings, fun experiments and projects which foster learning through engagement and creativity. And there are tips throughout to help kids become nature detectives and planet protectors...YEAH!  Not to mention it has silly biology jokes, and my kids love jokes. It's geared towards kids 9 and older, but many of the projects can be done by younger kids as well. 

Page 74 immediately caught my eye for a few reasons: I always have extra seeds hanging around, I had all the additional supplies at home, which made it super convenient, and I knew my three-year-old could do it too, even if he could barely say the word, geotropism. To be honest, I'm pretty sure I never said the word, geotropism until I read this book. Lily, on the other hand, will not only remember it, she will probably quiz me later!

Honestly I just wanted my kids to be able to see what happens to the seed in the wet paper towel through the clear plastic cup.  Lily and Jasper had the most fun playing with the water and the paper towels, getting them wet, squishing them out, getting them wet, and squishing the water out all over again. 

The experiment in the book is about how gravity affects the roots' growth (geotropism), but we amended it a bit. We did get the paper towels wet and squish them into the plastic cups and push some bean seeds into the cup in different directions, but in addition to hypothesizing about which way we thought the roots would grow, we also guessed which way the plants would grow.

I love Jasper's attempt at writing his name on the cup!

Then we placed them in our warm sunny windowsill and  checked them every day to see if they needed more water.

It took less than a week for the beans to sprout and grow. 

And now we are ready to plant them in the garden with the rest of our Legos...I mean beans!!

What's Not Growing!

Just as many things flourish in our garden, there are always those plants that don't seem to do well no matter what I do.  Here's a glimpse at what's NOT growing in our garden.

BASIL

I'm not surprised, it never does well; it's never warm enough here, at least it's never warm enough at the end of May or during June when the beautiful, flush plants from the nursery lure me in.  But I always buy a plant (or three!) A part of me hopes this will be the year they will adapt and grow into the kinds of plants I can pick from all summer and into the fall, plants that have so many healthy leaves I can make jars of homemade pesto to freeze for the winter.

I remember a few years ago when I was in Mexico and the resort used basil as one of their landscaping plants. Talk about amazing; they were so big, two and three feet tall and wide that I don't think I would have recognized them except the scent was like a perfume in the humid air every time I walked by one.

I'll probably never have very successful basil, but I'm still okay with buying a few plants every year, especially if I get to use the lovely fragrant leaves in a recipe or two before the plants completely conk out.

BLUEBERRIES

This one vexes me as we live in a climate PERFECT for blueberries.  We bought four bushes almost four years ago.  At the time they were two-year old bushes so they were a good size.  I bought them for the fruit as well as the brilliant red foliage the leaves display in the fall.  We amended the soil to make sure there was plenty of acid and we planted a few different kinds so they could cross-pollinate.  Last year and this year something really odd has happened to them.  All these precious white blossoms bloom and fall off like they are supposed to, but in addition to the blossoms falling off, the little stems that hold the blossom, and would grow the fruit, also fall off.  

I did some research and the closest I can gather is that they maybe have a blossom blight and that there is nothing I can do for them; they are doomed! Jasper's face pretty much sums up how we feel about not picking blueberries from our own plants! Did I mention it's one of the few foods that boy actually eats?!

PEONIES

If someone walked by and saw my peonies they might think, what is wrong with that poor gardener, she can't even get peonies to bloom in a place where most people's peonies are overflowing, literally, falling over with huge gorgeous blooms!  Last year, from five plants, (three of which were already in the yard when we bought this house, and have never bloomed since we've lived here) I got one bloom.  I would have had three, but Jasper bent one off before it could bloom and Dizzy destroyed the other.  So last year I moved several of the plants, put in lots of compost and made sure they weren't planted too deep as per all the tips I read about peonies liking a bit of winter chill in order to bloom in the spring.  The only one that bloomed is the one that bloomed last year, and it only produced two precious deep purple pinkish blooms. I kept one for myself and gave one to my good friend and awesome gardener/flower whisperer, Ingrid.

I drive or walk by all these houses in our neighborhood with overflowing blossoms just drooping off neglected peony after neglected peony and I just want to cry, or go cut them off and steal them!



RHUBARB

A friend gave us precious twenty-year old Rhubarb crowns about three years ago, what a gift!  Not only does Rhubarb also grow really well around here, but I love pairing rhubarb with strawberries in spring recipes. Delish!  My rhubarb has done nothing but struggle.  I keep giving it compost, I water it, and although it starts off strong, it barely manages to cling to life by the time June comes around.  We all know it's not the heat that's killing it!  But it almost looks burnt.  

I think I might try to move it this fall, as maybe the location is the problem.  Most people I know out here who have rhubarb don't have to do anything to it and they still grow these huge bush like rhubarb plants. I'm stumped!

Garden Updates

Despite all the hoodlums, the police and the middle schoolers who leave their cigarette butts along our front fence, AND the 54 degree temperatures and rain we’ve had, our garden is flourishing. I always wish for more sun, more plants to tend to, more gardening time, but when I stop and look at how many things are growing, it makes me happy!

When we actually do have a sunshiny nice day, the kids and I - like everyone else in the PacNW - take advantage!! We dig in the dirt, play in the sprinkler, eat popsicles and SOAK UP THE RAYS!! 

Even Dizzy gets high from the sun, that dog loves him some sunshine!

Here’s a look at what’s growing in our garden right now during the end of June.



Lettuce

Tomatoes

Broccoli

Sugar Snap Peas

Tons of herbs, including, Lemon Thyme - my favorite!!

Garlic

More Berries!!

Beans and Dinosaurs!

We also have tons of flowers blooming now, begging for more sunshine, Please!!

Bachelor's Buttons

Knautia

Globe Flower

Black Swan Poppy...AMAZING!

Foxglove

Day Lillies

Roses

The Beas, butterflies and other weird bugs are enjoying our garden too! I hope your garden is going bonkers like ours is!