Spring Break Gardening

Iain and Ria were on vacation for the past two weeks, so Josephine and I were on our own in the garden, with much to do. We started off our spring break by making yet another trip to the city's recycling center to pick up more compost. We also got another load of wood chips to sprinkle on the paths. We still have to get more wood chips to fill in the rest of the garden, but things are indeed looking better. The soil in the various beds, despite all the rototilling we've done and compost we've added, still looked very hard and clay-like. We dug up every single bed, added compost in with the soil, and then put the soil back. That was a lot of work! But finally we got to the point that we could start planting. We started with the plants we already had, donated by a friend. We had wooly lambs' ears and daylilies. Here's Josephine with the daylilies:

We then started planting seeds. We planted California poppies in one bed and nasturtiums in another bed. The nasturtium seeds were sent from Sweden by Josephine's grandparents. The Swedish word for nasturtiums is slingerkrasse. Next we planted the hanging gourd seeds. They were very unusual looking. Each one was a different shape and color. We hope for them to grow along the arched arbor leading into the garden. Here is what they looked like:

Next Josephine watered the gourd seeds.

We then planted sugar snap peas along the fence. There is already a system of wires along the fence for the plants to cling to, so we have the perfect spot for planting them.

Then Jo watered the peas.

And Jo filled up the birdbath. In the past week I've seen so many birds drinking and bathing in the fountain.

And Jo even had a little drink herself!

We then finally planted our little peach tree. It actually has a little fruit growing on it already. It has not a single little bit of peach fuzz on it, which leads me to believe we may actually have a little nectarine tree on our hands (this was another donation, from a neighbor, so we are not certain). Then Jo watered the tree, all the while gently speaking to it: "I'll take care of you, little tree. I'll give you water and watch you grow."

We still have quite a bit to do in the garden, but we made some good progress over the last few weeks. This week Iain will be rejoining us, and we will plant more seeds and plants.

Last Wednesday I attended another one of the CAMP meetings (the program helping me to get started). I turned in a list of all the items I've purchased so far, and I still have some money left, so I did a little more shopping. I've been wanting to get some lap looms. I thought they would be fairly inexpensive and easy for young children. But as I searched I didn't find quite what I was looking for. The ages listed on them were much older than the children I take care of, like 7 or 8+. The only lap loom listed for younger children was extremely small, but still not terribly inexpensive. And then I found . . . the Brio loom!

I couldn't believe when I saw this on Amazon. Over Christmas, while I was in Sweden, I told my mother-in-law that I was interested in getting some lap looms for my program. She went up into the attic and came down with this same exact loom that I found on Amazon. My eyes popped when I saw it, as it was way more advanced than what I had in mind. It had been my sister-in-law's when she was a child, and it was fabulous. It looked like a miniaturized version of a real weaving loom. But now I found it on Amazon . . . and it is recommended for children as young as five! And it is only $40, comparable in price to the little lap looms I was finding! Of course I ordered one. The children will have to take turns on it, as I think it would be impractical to have more than one, but I think it will be wonderful.