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February's garden
February 17, 2009
The kids let me know, late last week, in no uncertain terms that they wanted to start planning their gardens. I wasn't quite ready but my kids have a way of kicking my butt into gear.
It's not vegetables these kiddos want to plan, just flowers and decorative plants thank you very much. Flowers that grow tall and will provide little shelters for reading, resting and sketching. Flowers that attract birds and butterflies, but not wasps (we like bees around here but the kids don't like wasps).
Flowers that smell pretty, bloom nicely and don't get eaten by slugs. Plants that provide cover for frogs and salamanders. Oh and don't forget the pond where the frogs will the live. The pond we meant to dig last summer but couldn't find time to do.
Starting this week during our usual school time I've worked with each child in turn to sketch out an small area of our backyard that they can "have". Each bed has to be prepared in the spring since we are claiming areas of lawn (and I use that word very loosely - more accurately it could be called clover/plantain/self heal(?) ground cover) in order to plant these flower & pond gardens. Seems like a lot of work, I hope they're up to it. I'm certainly not looking to add more beds to the 5 perennial beds & kitchen garden I already maintain.
But what else can you do in mid-February when the snow is ugly, hard and crusty? When the winds blow and there is no color to be found in the natural world - save blue sky and brown tree limbs. So for now the kids plan, sketch, write, draw, research, measure and read.
Call it schooling, call it dreaming, call it February sanity.
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Kirsten on Feb. 18, 2009, 2:59 a.m.
Yup, it's that time! I almost pulled out the gardening books last weekend... Coen FOR SURE wants to plant carrots...ever since he found some scattered in the lawn from last years plantings. I couldn't believe he remembered how to identify them just from their tops! Gardening is so fun...I think maybe this year I'll have Dave build Coen his own little raised bed to play in. Weeee! It's almost spring!
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michial on Feb. 18, 2009, 12:38 p.m.
Teeheehee. You all should come down to the house. i could always use some extra creative expertise now that it looks like i have two gardens to plan. i have been working diligently on the backyard garden. . . i like how you said it, "February sanity"!!!
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Anonymous on Feb. 19, 2009, 12:52 p.m.
I was daydreaming about my garden last week, and was running through my list of gardening books, picturing the cover of each one, and wondering if it was too early to get them out. Would it help me to plan? Or just make me more restless and antsy for spring. Also, what if my house sells? Better keep it simple. And cheap! :) But after reading this, I can't resist the urge to at least thumb through the books, and dream a little... I am feeling it, too!! :)
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Walter Scott on Feb. 20, 2009, 10:27 p.m.
Great blog, I really love gardening and you have some interesting points I enjoyed :) I will be back :) Thanks Walter
Walter Scott's last blog post... Aeroponic Hydroponic Cloner
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Andie on Feb. 21, 2009, 12:11 a.m.
It must be something in the air because I can't stop thinking about gardening and flowers too. I'm craving spring. Bad. Love these pics of course. Especially the top two. Can't wait to see what gardens spring up under your childrens care.
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Whitney Segura on June 13, 2009, 2:22 p.m.
Very great post, I love to see young people getting motivated like this, it is truly inspirational and heart warming! Keep the good stuff coming!!!
Whitney Segura's last blog post... Summer Garden Tips
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shelli on Feb. 17, 2009, 8:03 p.m.
We don't have snow down here, so I planted some lettuce during a warm spell a couple of weeks ago. I hope it does well. I covered it last night to guard against frost. Hopefully we won't have too many more freezes, but I'll have to be diligent about watching the forecast.
I am not the best gardener. I really wish I knew more. Or maybe the key would be to just have more money so that I could haul in good dirt (we just have hard, red clay). And not to mention I have a destructive puppy and too much shade (not that I'm complaining about the trees). But I can usually get some squash and tomatoes growing in the summer. Can't wait!
Hang in there! February is half over!