In the Garden

Time in the garden always refreshes my soul. Weather forecasts are showing high 80's and low 90's starting Sunday and continuing into midweek, so I figured best do the garden work now when it's fairly cool. The breeze today made it so we could weed and hoe in relatively pleasant conditions. I headed out this morning after I'd started the dishwasher and laundry, started a loaf of wheat bread in the bread machine and read a chapter in Guerrilla Learning, which I'm finding to be fascinating. The kind of stuff you know, but need to be reminded of, especially as you plan for the upcoming school year. At the end of each chapter I absolutely love the for the parent and for the child exercises. Really makes one think about being a learning role model in a learning environment. Anyway, I started out alone in the garden, humming a tune as I hoed. Gradually the kids congregated around me. Grace came with a second hoe and pail for pulling big weeks. Ironic that Grace would be the first one out, but the first question out of her mouth was, How long do you think we'll be doing this? Until it's done, I said. Lee came next and plopped down in the shade with stories of escaping deer flies, dead stag beetles and a new bird with a yellowish breast at the feeder. Lou came down with Diamond and Ray showed up with a tractor. I managed to coerce Lee into getting the wheel barrow so we could pick up some trash I raked from the garden edge. He did that while Grace and Lou pulled weeds from around the electric fence and Ray played with his tractor near the entrance to the garden, near the tomato plants. I hoed the entire garden and managed to only step on corn twice. That's a record for me, especially with all the commotion surrounding me.

What drew the kids to the garden? I'd like to think it was me being there, but there's definitely more to it than that. The breeze, the new life springing forth, the cool soil between the toes, the tangibleness of it all when the job is done. You can see your progress. There's nothing more beautiful than a nicely weeded garden. The fresh black dirt, the bright greens poking out, the excitement of what's to come with each vegetable and flower. And of course, just being a family, all working towards one accomplishment and the silly songs I sing as we weed help keep us merry when quite frankly, we're tired out and want a Popsicle now.

The pictures are not from our garden, but from around the yard. Enjoy!