Gardening Graham Style

I just realized I haven't wrote a post on our vegetable garden yet.  I haven't taken pictures of it recently because it's a big'ol mess of tomato and pumpkin plants. The garden itself wasn't overly successful (I rely more on my mother-in-law's green thumb for that) but the kids (mostly Emma) sure had fun planting it, watching it grow, and now enjoying its harvest.

We had a wooden sandbox "frame" that we had removed from the playhouse and reused for our garden. Everyone knows a good planting medium is required for a healthy lawn and garden so Dean got some well aged manure and mixed in some potting soil.  Emma was a great help.

  

Next came the planting.  Marigolds around the perimeter to keep the bugs away, pumpkins, tomatoes, asparagus, spinach, dill, summer savory, and some wildflowers. 

 

 

And this is what it looked like midway through the summer. 

Not too bad you say...well it didn't really last.  The asparagus didn't do well, something eventually ate the dill, and we had one good feed of spinach.  The tomato plants are still going strong as are the pumpkin plants and the summer savory is still doing good.  The wildflowers are also beautiful.  So it was not 100% successful but we still did pretty good.

But honestly it would not have mattered if we only had one tomato.  There was so much joy on Emma's face when the garden started coming up, she loved watching it progress over the summer and is now really enjoying running down to the garden to grab a tiny tim tomato and popping it in her mouth. 

I think the lesson learned from this is how important it is to teach our children where our food comes from.  I will not "protect" Emma and Dustin from the fact that the cows we have wondering by the house will eventually be dinner or the fact that the chickens in the barn will feed us all winter (If you ask Emma what we are going to do to the chickens she says "kill them and eat them"). 

So just as my kids will understand where their meat comes from, they'll also understand that tomatoes don't always come in a plastic container from the grocery store. 

What did you grow in your garden this summer?

~Elizabeth

Hens and Chicks - The Plant Kind

As my experience with gardening goes every year, I'm all enthusiastic early in the season.  The perennial beds are looking good and I'm out weeding every few nights.  And then all of a sudden, something comes up and you skip a few days.  And it's just enough of an opportunity for things to take over.  Weeds start growing into your plants, some plants spread all over the place when you don't keep them trimmed, etc., etc.  I'll go at it again and get everything cleaned out eventually but I'm much less enthusiastic about it than I was a few weeks ago. 

I do love my perennial beds.  It's amazing to think I nurtured something so little into a beautiful thing (hmmm...sounds like something else we moms do everyday!).  Most of my plants have been split from friends and family or purchased at horticultural society sales.  And I love the fact that I can now divide some and share the love.

My favorite perennial is Hens and Chicks.  There is probably a more scientific name for it but that's how I've always known it.  Here's one that I have growing in my garden.  What's your favorite perennial?

I want to finish off the week with some exciting news....I requested to be a guest blogger on Ottawa Valley Moms and they accepted me.  I'm super excited about the opportunity to learn more about the blogging community.  And a special shout out to my good friend Jenn and fellow blogger Glitterary Girl who recently got engaged.  So excited for her.

Have a good weekend everyone! XO

~Elizabeth