In The Garden

Let's start off with some quotes about gardening shall we?

"Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants as paint, and the soil and sky as canvas." Elizabeth Murray

"I was determined to know beans." Henry David Thoreau

"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood

Well, the earth did become my canvas over the last month. And I am determined to know beans, I get you Henry. And oh yes, we smelled like dirt!

I drew out plans, we went and bought untreated cedar and began our construction.
Here is the layout. Pun intended. Avi Joy told me that when NanNa (my mom) watched her recently they went and laid out in the sun and talked. I so love this. Let us never be too busy to just layout and talk. So in the middle of this project we soaked in the sun and talked about girly things. The days are fleeting readers, slow down and layout (P.S. We do wear sunblock daily : )
We had to terrace the beds. A big job for sure. The back three are complete and filled. The front three beds we had to dig out most of the dirt so they would be level.
We took a popcorn break. I love sun glares.
Dirty little guy. Always. Both the kids so enjoy a popcorn treat- and talk about cheap and easy!
Within 24 hours of these pictures, comes this picture. Yes, seriously. Not a popcorn break, but a two day snow break during spring break.
The sunshine came back and my seeds arrived. I talked with a neighbor who has a garden to see which veggies I could/should plant together. Then I measured and dug my little rows.
Avi Joy's great grandma (my mom's mom) send us some Chinese Okra. Lil' Joyjoy loves her some Okra- in every form, so that is the first thing we planted. Putting the seed in and covered it up. She was a wonderful helper during this project.
In our beds we have:
1- Okra, green beans, peas, soy beans, lima beans
2- Squash and zucchini
3- Broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, onion
4- Tomatoes, red peppers, bush beans, artichokes
5- watermelon, cantaloupe, pumpkin
6- lettuce, cabbage, leek, parsnips, carrots

I have strawberries sitting on the side that I have not planted yet and some possible thornless blackberry bushes my friend might give me, so all in all- we did a bit of this and that.
You might be an avid gardener and be seriously LAUGHING at my layout or choice of veggies, but hey- at least I am trying. We shall see what comes up, what does well, what is delicious or disgusting. I am looking forward to it all!
I also gave the kiddos some messy outside craft time during our garden prep. They played with the shaving cream for about 30 minutes. Trust me it did not stay on the baking trays. They quickly discovered it was fun on the house, the fence and the grass. But nothing held their attention as long as...
Cutting the grass with scissors. Both Nehemiah and Avi Joy have done this every day for weeks now. They LOVE it, great- easy- fun- playtime idea.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener." John 15:1

The Perryman's