We're Home...

from a very long weekend away. I'll write some about our adventures later this week but now, guess what I came home to?

a bloom!

there has been a bee on it since it opened up, constant, drunk on the pollen

and there is a smaller sunflower following close behind, I think it will open up by the end of the week

Time

Sorry for the absence again, I really should just stop apologizing, blogging just doesn't happen as much with my energetic toddler and the crazy summer heat. I find that we've been going out a lot more to make up for not being able to spend time in the garden - YMCA, playdates, La Leche League and spending time with the new baby in our family have kept us busy. Even though we've been inside, we're still watching the garden and reaping the benefits on our dinner table. Here is the most exciting thing happening in our garden right now

We're waiting on our biggest sunflower to give us it's first bloom, and unfortunately we're leaving town for a little while right as it looks like it may happen. I'll update with a picture next week when we're home again.

Summer Days

Are here.... It's been hot and we've been busy. Finally got some time these last few days to spend in the garden, watching the garden grow, contemplating life and playing in the dirt

our morning glories are big and bright and on our front steps

our herb garden is filling our kitchen with good smells

and look at our apple tree, they're getting big

and one of many basil plants that have provided me with enough pesto to fill a big tupperware in the fridge. Mmmmm

I love these bright sunny days. So does the little one, especially when I pull out some popsicles we made with leftover breakfast smoothies

Planting Dandelions

spreading their seeds is such an important job. Thank goodness I have such a good helper.

Fourteen months is such a fun age, so curious, so active, so loud and into everything. I just love him with all my everything.

Gardening Snafu

I love spending time outside my little guy, but I have to be watch him closer and closer each day as he gets more and more curious and mischevious.

Taking pictures of our new snapdragon kept my hands distracted for just moments, but that's all it took for a little hand to creep sweetly into the shot and turn this

into this

A Weekend At Home

is a beautiful thing!

We had a visitor for the weekend, my two and a half year old niece. She certainly gave little Q a run for his money and vice versa

It was such a treat to have little hands in the garden as we started working on the driveway full of compost that came on Friday. We worked on carving out little spaces for summer barbecues and toddler safe summer fun. In the process we made big messes, small discoveries, leaf soup and mud pies. We watered plants, watered each other, broke out the bike trailer and the wheelbarrow and shovel.

Spring Garden

Spring is soooooo here and it feels good! Here's a look at everything popping up in our garden right now. I took these pictures first thing in the morning, just after the sun came up and the dew was still on everything, by the end of the day everything was already different. It changes so quickly just as new life often does.

Brainstorm With Me

Won't You?

by René Eisenbart

It's bitterly cold and I'm stuck inside. Fortunately I have some beautiful sunny windows to gaze out of all day. These windows are the perfect windows for napping by since the sun comes through and heats you up and puts a magical sleepy spell on you, just watch out for the dreams you may have. The most recurrent dream has been of spring, spring through these windows will be beautiful and green and lush since they overlook the front garden. My little boy will be toddling this spring (if not sooner) and I want to start a tradition of gardening with my kid. I want to learn how to garden more (better) and this is as good a time as any. So this is my dream, a children's garden to create and enjoy together.

In my head it's huge and has places to hide and little rock circles and stones that make a chair that is only big enough for a little kid and tracks for toy cars and trucks and diggers to do their work. In reality, the space is not that big and I have three main ideas. I want to have somewhere for him to hide (maybe a sunflower house), somewhere for him to play (water play, sandbox, bean box) and somewhere for him to watch small things grow into food we can eat.

So now, I need to figure out how I'm going to do all three of those things... ideas? suggestions?