Gardens and Earth Worms

A couple Sundays ago, I had grand plans of taking my kids to the botanical gardens and taking beautiful pictures of them in the sunshine and with the very early blooms our exceptionally warm spring had brought. I diligently watched the forecast. I invited other moms. I was all ready to go and then….it rained.

It ended up being a yucky Sunday for lack of a better word. Gray and breezy. Warm enough to be outside but muddy and all the play ground equipment had puddles at the tops and bottoms. I had promised Bug a trip to the gardens, which he loves because like all little boys he loves open spaces to run. He was disappointed.

So we decided to bring the garden to them and we planted a children’s garden in the back yard. We cleared a little plot, we let them pick out plants and we got to work. Our neighbor had rocks we could use for a border. The Bug and Bear discovered earth worms much to the delight of both. Bug spent a considerable amount of time asking which end was the head. I spent a considerable amount of time telling him whichever end it leads with or “I don’t know.” Both seemed reasonable answers to me.

We, my husband and I, are not gardeners. We have a cute yard with flowering bushes and low maintenance plants. We cut grass and trim. But overall we go with stuff that will need some water and some pruning and that is about it.

So at the garden center we really didn’t know what we were doing. We let the kids lead. Truth is the garden is just something for them to pick around in. I would love for their veggies and fruits to bear something so we can have the fun of eating it and so they can see their work produce results. But the real fun was just in getting dirty and playing with earth worms.

Bug picked strawberries and carrots to grow. His strawberries we bought as plants and the carrots as seeds. The Bear picked a tomato plant and artichoke seeds. I haven’t heard of anyone in Iowa growing artichokes. The package said we could. We shall see.

They were interested and engaged most of the process. They really enjoyed helping pick out rocks for the border and pulling weeds. They threw dirt at each other and dirt at us. Bear tried eating some and found it not pleasant.

It’s been 10 days now since we planted and last night I found a couple sprouts where the carrots should be so that is promising. The strawberries and tomato plant are still alive, also promising. The artichokes remain to be seen, figuratively and literally. But every night my babes are out there with their watering cans, looking at their plants and asking me about which end of the earth worm is the head.

I still don’t know and that’s seems reasonable to me.