Seeds

I have been fascinated by seeds lately. I'm astounded that the little plants come out of the seeds after simply putting them in the ground. Ian got a few sunflower seeds from nursery two Sundays ago and we planted them and there are little seedlings poking out of the ground—one yesterday and three more today. They are different than the other sorts of seedlings I've had grow, they are bigger and thicker in their little stems and something, maybe waxier too.

I have also been watching some apple seeds grow. Right now they are planted in paper towels in a glass. The seeds are right up near the edge of the glass and I can see the roots go down and the shoots start to go up. I am even more amazed because they came out of the apples I used for apple sauce for Joy School the other week.

The seeds in the garden are also growing great. Everything is up. The parsnips are starting to get their first set of distinctive leaves. But, the bean sprouts were the most interesting. Here are three of the seedlings yesterday.

Little fingers

As I escorted our Joy School friends out to see what the seeds sprouted seeds looked like—we were learning about how seeds grow—I was surprised to find two dandelion flowers smiling up out of the empty garden box that has been waiting for corn to grow. As my attention was focused on coraling 6 pre-schoolers, holding their attention, and minimizing the damage, I didn't think too much beyond a slight worry that such a tenacious weed had already broke through my haphazard cardboard barrier and stretched out through my 4 inches of fine Mel's Mix.

By the time I got back out there this afternoon, the bright yellow smiles had wilted. One of the ingenious Joy Schoolers had taken our lesson to heart and planted some beautiful flowers.

The corn got started today. Since I seem to be a little short of Mel's Mix I mounded up 16 mounds that should be plenty deep. I planted 4 seeds today, that should give me a 4 week progression, hopefully that's enough plants to polinate themselves.

Following a nursery lesson Sunday, we also have a few Sunflowers that we've added to our bevy of seeds to watch. The Sunflowers be out by the end of the month. They're planted in front.

Today's planting

green beans Apr. 24	carrots (12/16) Mar. 25 Apr. 23	parsnips (1 long row of 8) Mar. 25 Apr. 23	peas Apr. 10
peas/peppers Mar. 10	green beans Apr. 23	parsnips (1 long row of 8) carrots Apr. 25	peas Apr. 10
strawberries Mar. 8	lettuce Mar. 10 Mar. 25 Apr. 6	peas Mar. 19	green beans Apr. 10
peas Mar. 8	strawberries Mar 8	green beans Apr. 10	peas/peppers Mar. 19

I put in two squares each of peas and green beans. The parsnips are just coming up.

Baby Carrots

After what seems like many, many days of rain (I think it was really only 3), we wandered out to the garden yesterday and found that the carrots had poked out of the soil. They seem to be looking good, I am excited to see them, because I haven't grown carrots before.

Grow dandelions!

I have been thinking about gardening with kids today (see the previous post) and happened upon my three-year old neighbor picking dandelions for her mom. She was singing and talking to them. This went on for several minutes. Perhaps one of the secrets to gardening with kids is to plant dandelions.

Comment on Slate Kid Gardening Article

Slate Article: Kinder-gardening
My three-year old and I are enjoying his second season of gardening—his first started when he was just over a year, we moved in the middle of season last year. (Having relocated to the south, we have really started gardening already this year. We have pea plants and lettuce seedlings.) We are both really enjoying the endeavor. Here are three things that make us happy gardeners.

1. Elephant watering can from Target.* We fill this up from my watering can and he waters each plant. It doesn't hold very much water, so even if the whole thing goes onto one plant, there is no harm done. And, since it come out in a fairly strong stream pointed far away from the little body, there is very little accidental self watering.
   
2. Seeds from Territorial seed company. This is my third year using their seeds and every year I am astounded at how many of them actually turn into happy healthy plants. It seems like nearly every seed sprouts. (Maybe this is not as miraculous as it seems to me, but I have not had good luck with other seeds.) Note: I do not start any seeds in doors. If I can't direct sow them, then I buy healthy plants from a nursery.
3. Square foot garden. Mel Bartholomew claims all sorts of great things about this gardening method. So far, I can say that the definite boundaries of the garden are important for my three-year old. We haven't had a weed yet. And empty squares have been a great way to re-direct my three-year old's need to dig. By the time all of our squares are planted, there will be things (sugar snap peas and lettuce) ready to harvest and then replant.

*I can't find the elephant watering can online at Target. Perhaps it is a regional offering. It looks like the picture below and I found it on a whole aisle of cutesy kid gardening stuff located just next to the grown up gardening stuff in the seasonal section of our store.