Greg has wanted to plant a vegetable garden for several years, and this weekend, we finally did it! Our neighbor Kami told us about a method called "Square Foot Gardening" that uses less space and gave us a recipe for a special planting mixture that reduces weeds and helps the plants grow bigger than when planted in regular garden soil. She brought us a few of her crops last summer and we were amazed at how great her zucchini and tomatoes were and how HUGE her cucumbers grew! So, this year we decided to try our own.
We had some left-over wood from our patio project, and wanted to use it up, so our boxes are 4x8 instead of 4x4. We bought a few started plants and lots of seeds this week, and Greg built the boxes on Friday. Saturday morning we woke up bright and early to get started, and it was RAINING! Greg was determined to get the plants in the ground that day, so he and Odeion trooped out there and dug up the sod and prepped the holes in the rain. When the downpour eased up I joined them and mixed the mulch, manure and vermiculite together on a big tarp. Then we poured the planting mixture into the boxes and started planting.
We planted two kinds of tomatoes, banana squash, zucchini, 3 kinds of peppers, cantaloupe, and strawberries. On Monday night we are going to divide the second box into square foot sections so we can plant our seeds. We will sow seeds for peas, beans, cucumbers, romaine lettuce, corn, pumpkins (in the small 3rd box) and a few other things that I can't remember! If they all grow we are going to be eating VERY healthily this summer and fall!
I'm proud of Greg because it was a BIG project, and a lot to accomplish in one day (especially in the rain!) but the hardest part is over. Hopefully the special mixture we used will help cut down on the weeding, and we can enjoy the fruits of our labors in a few months. Greg is great at canning, so we will tackle that together when the beans and tomatoes come on. Anyone want to come over and help with that? I'm not a huge fan of peeling tomatoes. But I'm really excited to pick peas and strawberries out of my own yard and eat them right then!
Taylor has been attending "Tiny Tadpoles" gymnastics class for a few weeks. She loves it, and is getting better each time at the skills she is practicing. The kids work with a parent and stay at each station for 5 minutes. Each week they change the course so that it is a little more challenging, and it stays interesting. Here are pictures of some of the things she has been working on. They also have a foam pit with a platform and a slide that is in the back corner of the room. I couldn't get a good shot of it, but it's Taylor's very favorite!
She is learning to follow directions and to repeat something new a few times before moving on to anything else, and since the class meets during my regular Mutual activity, it's a great chance for Greg to spend some quality time with her. They also do parent/child stretches and strengthening exercises that are beneficial for both Daddy and Daughter. She asks to go to Gymnastics almost every day. I am so happy she is learning and enjoying her class!
