I plant seeds!
Last week, Andrea posted about raising and nurturing a Green Toddler and I was inspired! Jon and I are geeky tree huggers ourselves and always say "we should get him out more". The fall was a right-off with Iain's arrival, but I'm so hoping we get out more this summer and fall. I'm still hinting that maybe a double bike trailer that converts to a stroller might be nice. But I don't think I'll win.
I know we don't need fancy equipment to enjoy the great outdoors with the kids. Something as simple as worm rescue in the rain can provide for minutes of fun! ;) We always looked forward to rainstorms when I was a kid...nothing better than a rainspout gushing cool, fresh rainwater. We also loved digging in the earth for the first time every spring. My brother and I always had our own little plot where we could do whatever we wanted. My big dream as a teen was to somehow create a Montreal Canadiens logo out of flowers, but I never did it. But someday, I WILL do it.
So. I thought it might be fun for Cael to do some gardening. He's already helped me dig up my new perennial bed, removing the rocks and hauling them away in his dump truck. So, last weekend when I was out for my weekly two excursion by myself, I picked up some peat pots, green pepper seeds
and pansy seeds!
Cael poured the water over the peat pots (which he thought were cookies...he even sampled them and proclaimed them not to be...) and we waited. He was quite thrilled that the "cookies" plumped up so much.
Then we planted. He was so meticulous. I showed him how to put the seeds in the pot and said we'd put two in each. He very carefully counted out two for each pot.
Then we covered the tray, with the explanation that we'd check them every day to see if they needed water. I showed him how we'd spritz them with a spray bottle and he thought that was pretty neat.
We had to wait until early this week to do the pansies 'cuz it was suggested that I plant them in a two-litre pop bottle cut in half with the top half put back on after planting, so he can check the progress without opening. We didn't have a pop bottle, so Gail sent one home with him on the Monday. He thought using the shovel was fun...
As was the watering can...
And then he got distracted and had to water the grass.
I'm afraid we don't have any photos of the actual seed planting as Daddy got distracted too. By some weird cartoon on tv. *sigh* But Cael thought the whole planting thing was great. Pansy seeds are a bit smaller than green pepper seeds, so he had a bit of trouble getting them off his finger, but he did manage to get 4 in the bottle before he wandered off to pick up rocks. Big, heavy rocks apparently.
So now he has to check his seeds every morning before breakfast! When the pansies are big enough, we might transfer them to a big pot and put them right on the little step by the back door so he can see them. And I'm not sure what to do with the peppers. I was going to put them in pots too, but I might just put them in the ground somewhere. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see his seeds grow. And who knows...he might even be inspired enough to eat some of his green peppers! :D
Hey, I can dream, right?
I know we don't need fancy equipment to enjoy the great outdoors with the kids. Something as simple as worm rescue in the rain can provide for minutes of fun! ;) We always looked forward to rainstorms when I was a kid...nothing better than a rainspout gushing cool, fresh rainwater. We also loved digging in the earth for the first time every spring. My brother and I always had our own little plot where we could do whatever we wanted. My big dream as a teen was to somehow create a Montreal Canadiens logo out of flowers, but I never did it. But someday, I WILL do it.
So. I thought it might be fun for Cael to do some gardening. He's already helped me dig up my new perennial bed, removing the rocks and hauling them away in his dump truck. So, last weekend when I was out for my weekly two excursion by myself, I picked up some peat pots, green pepper seeds
and pansy seeds!
Cael poured the water over the peat pots (which he thought were cookies...he even sampled them and proclaimed them not to be...) and we waited. He was quite thrilled that the "cookies" plumped up so much.
Then we planted. He was so meticulous. I showed him how to put the seeds in the pot and said we'd put two in each. He very carefully counted out two for each pot.
Then we covered the tray, with the explanation that we'd check them every day to see if they needed water. I showed him how we'd spritz them with a spray bottle and he thought that was pretty neat.
We had to wait until early this week to do the pansies 'cuz it was suggested that I plant them in a two-litre pop bottle cut in half with the top half put back on after planting, so he can check the progress without opening. We didn't have a pop bottle, so Gail sent one home with him on the Monday. He thought using the shovel was fun...
As was the watering can...
And then he got distracted and had to water the grass.
I'm afraid we don't have any photos of the actual seed planting as Daddy got distracted too. By some weird cartoon on tv. *sigh* But Cael thought the whole planting thing was great. Pansy seeds are a bit smaller than green pepper seeds, so he had a bit of trouble getting them off his finger, but he did manage to get 4 in the bottle before he wandered off to pick up rocks. Big, heavy rocks apparently.
So now he has to check his seeds every morning before breakfast! When the pansies are big enough, we might transfer them to a big pot and put them right on the little step by the back door so he can see them. And I'm not sure what to do with the peppers. I was going to put them in pots too, but I might just put them in the ground somewhere. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see his seeds grow. And who knows...he might even be inspired enough to eat some of his green peppers! :D
Hey, I can dream, right?
posted by Tanya at 14:47
2 Comments:
That's awesome. What fun!
I have one lonely little basil seed that just popped up, and a pea seed that is just just just below the surface of the dirt. I'm so excited! What a geek, eh?
We're keeping everything in pots, though, because the only spot in our backyard that is sunny and out of reach of pine needs is the deck. It's unfortunate.
Oh! And I got strawberry plants on the weekend, so I'm going to try putting some of them in. The birds will get most of them, but I still think it's pretty cool.
That looks like so much fun!
Unfortunately in our house we start seeds every year and then end up neglecting them.
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