Summer Garden

Rosalind swinging and teething

When Aunt Becky came for Memorial Day weekend, she arrived just in time to help us start our garden. It measures 19'x5' in a raised bed full of lovely mushroom soil that we had delivered from "Mulch Man."


Lovely mushroom soil



Julien wields a spade

Julien and Tristan stopped playing with their dump truck and scooter and got their shovels out to help. We planted 5 tomato plants, 4 pepper plants, bush beans, pole beans, butternut squash, zucchini, carrots, and radishes. We also planted sunflowers, dill, basil, chives, parsley, green onions and thyme.


family planting

In the front yard, we made a small flower bed with the leftover mushroom soil, and while I was thinking what flowers I would plant there, I decided to plant more veggies and herbs instead! So it has basil, parsley, chives, green onions, carrots, radishes, cuccumbers, sunflowers and sweet peas. Not all of these have survived, however.


bunny fence


Growing garden 2


Growing garden 3

Time has passed since I started writing about this garden, and boy do things change quickly! We have a bunny family that lives next door under the brown shed, and they regularly visit the garden.

Originally, we had a bunny fence up to keep them out, but once the tender shoots were established, we felt it was safe to take it down. Now the rabbits help with the weeding: they eat the new grass and weeds that pop up between the crops, and they enjoy all the sweet clover growing in the lawn.


two bunnies

One morning I watched out the window while two bunnies appeared to be fighting one another. At first I thought it was a little bunny friskiness going on, but then I realized that one seemed to be up on hind legs boxing at the other one, who was trying to charge in on the other one's territory. I guess our garden's worth fighting over!

We also got some kind of grub-bug that got to one of the zucchini plants, but not before we got about 4 or 5 very nice squash. We've already harvested the radishes; they only take 21 days to mature! And boy are they spicy! So far it's been a delight to see the product of our hard work, and we're already evaluating for next year.


Radish boy


Sweet Rosalind

As we were outside working the other day, Enoch was stringing up the second planting of pole beans, while the boys pulled the last of the radishes. I basically manned the camera, and no one was watching Rosalind!


Rosalind getting in on the action

She got her first taste of gardening, and seems to be a natural. The days of keeping her happy on a blanket are dwindling, but I'm glad she's not a sissy when it comes to getting dirty.


A taste for the outdoors

Every morning during breakfast we read and discuss the Proverb of the day. Here's a few verses that have been reinforced by our living example in the backyard:



Enoch in the dirt
Proverbs 12:25 "The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered."
Proverbs 12:28 "he who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like the green leaf."


flourish of green


Tristan's seeds
Proverbs 13:11 "He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who pursues vain things lacks sense."
Proverbs 13:14 "A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words, and the deeds of a man's hands will return to him."


Tristan shoveling smiles
And one of the boys' favorites: Proverbs 13:27 "A slothful man does not roast his prey, but the precious possession of a man is diligence."


Julien's seeds