Spring Gardening 2015

Setting up the yard and garden for the year.  And the great Lady Bug hunt of 2015.

Sometimes I order 1500 lady bugs in the mail "for the garden"  or at least I used that as an excuse to set them free with the kids one day.  They came in a box and we let them go in the yard.  Kate and Sam thought it was incredible.  Mari was a bit fearful but warmed up after a few minutes.  It really was incredible to see that many ladybugs all at once around us.  The kids were catching ladybugs with their friends for weeks after too.

We planted a bunch of flowers in the front planters as soon as it seemed warm enough which just so happened to be earth day.   Mid May we got all the seeds and starts for the garden.  The kids and I went to several nurseries picking out just the right variety of things.  Marianne picked out pink zinnias. Which died in the cold so we had to go buy more pink zinnias.  We are growing lots and lots and lots of strawberries, green onions, beets, peaks, beans, cucumbers in three varieties, Tomatoes in eight varieties, peppers in five varieties, broccoli, spinach, carrots, squash and hopefully a watermelon and another few giant pumpkins.   Our trees have plums, apples and cherries which we are already eating.

My favorite place in the entire house in sitting in my yellow chairs in the front with the flowers all a bloom.  The girls and I while school was still in would get the mail together and sort it on the porch.  They would look at catalogs and I would water the flowers.  Then Bethy would say " I do it"  which means she wants to control the hose, usually ending in everyone getting soaking wet and having to change our clothing.

My other favorite spot is under the biggest poplar tree we have in the very corner of the house by the fire pit.  I have a few painted benches there to sit on in bright colors as well.  From there I can see my garden and the kids playing in their playground and all the green grass and no neighbors.

The garden is my favorite.  It brings me so much joy.  And I love that my love and excitement for the garden rubs off on the kids as they ask questions daily and report on the vegetables they see getting ripe.  We have plans to double the size of our boxes by next spring.  I can't wait.