Thursday, May 21, 2015

His Garden





Things around my garden are pretty similar to last week, more seeds have been planted, a few more sprouts are peeking out from the earth, and I am harvesting food daily from the garden for our meals. A frost is expected here Friday evening, so I have put a stop to anymore planting until the weekend. And for that reason, and because so many of you asked, I thought I would share my little man's garden space today.

His main garden is in the center of the play area, and was, before Reece was born, my herb garden. When we dedicated this area of the yard for a play area years ago, we moved the herbs, and left the garden for Reece. This will be his fifth summer growing in his garden, always with a little help from me.

Reece, July 2011, watering his first garden

When he first started gardening, he grew flowers, tomatoes, snow peas, and cucumbers. He would join me at the garden center on flower shopping day, and excitedly point out all the flowers he wanted to grow in his garden, not quite understanding why he couldn't grow one of everything in his little space. He loved flowers back then and still does, but this summer he is really excited about growing food. A few weekends ago we planted some strawberries, which are slowly making an appearance in his circular garden. This past weekend I helped him make a bean teepee, and he planted pole beans, and marigolds. He also informed me that he wants to grow tomatoes and eggplant, which we picked up from a friend yesterday.

Last summer, in a search for more space to grow food, I asked Reece if he would like another garden in his play area. Of course he said yes, and so Justin built a little raised bed in front of his play structure. Reece and I filled it up with soil, and then transplanted alpine strawberries from one part of the garden to Reece's garden last fall, putting it all to bed with a good layer of straw for the winter. This spring we planted a blackberry bush, requested by Reece, and some sunflowers, which he started inside about six weeks ago.

We will work together on the weekend to plant his tomatoes and eggplant, and his garden will be complete for this season. I will have to remind him every once in a while to water it, and as soon as the seeds have all sprouted I will help him mulch it. It most likely won't get weeded at all, and he will check every day to see if there is something to eat in his garden. It is a lesson in patience for sure, as well as lessons on where our food comes from and the work required to grow it. All great lessons, that I am happy he is learning.

He now has plans to build a few fairy walking paths out of rocks, and maybe a little fairy home or two. I will leave him to it, and head on over to my own gardens to do a little weeding.

50 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks Sandra. We need to get you and your kiddos over here to play :)

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  2. Oh this is amazing! I love the playhouse, I really want to have one set up in our backyard, maybe as soon as the sandpit goes... Our yard is fairly small, but the kids love helping me out with watering and such. There is a patch I want to give them, eventually, but this year I want to grow cutting flowers there ;-))

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    1. Thanks Sylvia! The playhouse was added last summer, and is forever in use, in many different ways.

      Enjoy those flowers :)

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  3. You are teaching your little man, to appreciate the beauty of communing with the earth. Seeing a plant grow from something so small as a seed, teaches him patience and love for living things. What a blessing to have a garden in his life :0) Thank you so much for the email. It prompted me out of my funk! mari

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    1. Thank you for your kind words Mari. And you are most welcome, just wanted you to know I was thinking about you. xo

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  4. Reece and Emerson are so very much alike. I love Reece's garden and it makes me smile just thinking of him working in it.

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    1. I think they would get along so well Tracey :) Awe, thank you Tracey.

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  5. that's wonderful!! the boys planted their rows in our garden last night--Zenon actually grew spinach and corn for market last year. :)

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    1. Thanks!

      Way to go Zenon, that is awesome! A little farmer already :)

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  6. Oh wow I love that. I need to find a space to do this so my boys can have their own garden. It's lovely!

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    1. Thanks Sian. I think every child should have their own garden, so many lessons to be learned from playing in the dirt :)

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  7. So wonderful that green thumbs don't have to be inherited...just learned. Reece is lucky to have you for a teacher. Enjoy your day in the garden (yikes about the frost warning!!!)

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    1. Haha, yes, I agree. Thank you Erica, I feel pretty lucky to have him in my life, and most days he teaches me far more than I teach him.

      I know, I am hoping they are wrong, but I fear they are not. Fingers crossed.

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  8. What a sweet yard! And wonderful gardens. My garden never gets weeded, either...so I guess I garden like a little kid. ;)

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  9. His garden is wonderful. I love the way you've involved him in the growing process. He will always feel connected to the earth because you showed him this when he was very young.

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  10. It looks great, and I bet Reece really appreciates having his own patch, probably even more so when he can start eating from it!

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    1. Thanks Sally. He loves it, and yes, the eating part is his favourite, although I would say a very close second is the excitement of the sprouts popping up from the earth.

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  11. How sweet! I hope his love of gardening will stay with him forever!

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  12. Such a lovely space for him. I hope his eggplant and tomatoes all do well for him! Also love his fort!

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    1. Thanks Aimee, I hope they do well too. His eggplants last year were very small, but he still enjoyed eating them :)

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  13. Awesome, I can't wait to see the teepee - I've always wanted to grow one of those but we don't have the right space. Sounds like a great garden!

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    1. It is just a little teepee, not a big one. You can see it in the circular rock garden. His garden fairy friends will fit perfectly in it :) We had thought of doing a big one, but changed our minds.

      Thanks!

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  14. I love that first shot of Reece's play and garden area. You have such an eye for outdoor design, Kim! It looks like Reece is developing a lifelong love for gardening and the skills to go with it. Well done, Mama!

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    1. Thanks Kristen, that is so sweet of you to say. I sure hope so, but if not, that is okay too. I will just be happy if he has the skills, what he does with them will be up to him :)

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  15. I have a small flower garden space for my girls but let all the flowers dye. They do however take great pride in the big garden. V especially loves gardening and knows just how to pick everything. From where to pinch off a pea pod so as not to rip the whole fine out to where to cut chard leaves from. She looks for pests and helps me water.

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    1. That is awesome KC! Reece loves the big garden too, watering is his favourite, that and harvesting, although he tends to eat more than he harvests :)

      Enjoy that lovely garden of yours.

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  16. Although your crew seems much tamer then mine, there are so many similarities in the way Reece and my wilds are getting to grow up- it's such a beautiful thing to see kids learning about the earth and loving the land and outdoors!

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    1. Yes, I agree with you Chelsea. I think our kiddos are pretty darn lucky, and I feel so grateful to be able to offer him this kind of childhood.

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  17. How fantastic is that! Goodness I bet he knows so much about gardening already.
    His play area is wonderful, I bet you have a hard time getting him indoors at the end of the day.

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    1. Thank you Emma. Yes, that is the biggest problem....getting him to come in at all. He is out as soon as he gets dressed in the morning, and spends the entire day out there. It is wonderful, and makes us all so very happy.

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  18. how lovely! what an inspiration. i was planning to turn our old sandbox (which is made exactly like a raised bed anyway) into a raised bed this year... and i think i will have to follow your lead and let my little ones plant it... what fun!!

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    1. Thank you Jenny. That is a great idea, I bet your kiddos would love it. So many lessons gained from putting a few seeds in the ground, tending and nurturing them, and eventually eating what grows. Hope they enjoy it!

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  19. Fun. I love the idea of a kid grown garden. We are crammed for space, so usually the kids only get a 'spot'. Looking forward to seeing it grow.

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    1. Hey, even a spot is good. All kids need is a little bit of dirt, seeds, and some water, and they are good to go. Hope they enjoy their gardening season :)

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  20. I am not surprised he has his own garden and a tepee bean pole will be such fun for him! I loved being a teen and being sent out to pick beans, one for the pot, one in my mouth.....repeat!!

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    1. Hehe, except Reece does two or three for him, and one for the pot :)

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  21. How wonderful! My kids have their own garden box, but it is currently taken over by mint. Thanks for the reminder that now would be a good time to let them decide what they want to plant in it!

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    1. Thanks Taryn! You are most welcome, I am sure they will have a great time planting and tending their garden.

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  22. I love Reece's garden! The girls have been asking for their own space and I know as soon as they see this post they'll be asking even more! Happy Gardening, Reece! We cannot wait to see how it grows! xo

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    1. Thanks Shel! I bet the girls will love having their own space to grow flowers and food. I hope you will share it on your blog when they get it all planted, we would love to see it :)

      xo

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  23. what a sweet garden he has! and I've always admired his wonderful outdoor play space, it is just perfect.

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  24. Wow. I am quite impressed with his garden. What a responsible little guy. He is learning so many amazing life lessons guided by you!

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    1. He handles his responsibilities quite well, but does have his moments, like all kids. Thank you Jen, we have some pretty clear visions of the young man who will walk out of our home one day, and the lessons we think are important for him to learn. This is definitely one of them.

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    2. Of course, they all have their moments. But it is so beautiful that you have that clear vision of who he will walk out as. All of us should spend more time everyday thinking of that vision for our children.

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    3. Thank you Jen. Honestly, I can't imagine mothering without that vision, it guides so many of the decisions both Justin and I make as parents, and often times makes decisions so very clear.

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