Tag-Archive for ◊ gardening with kids ◊

24 Mar 2009 Spring is here and the Garden prep continues…

Besides doing the greenhouse this year my hubby has made a new plan for the big garden spot we have this year.  He brought in some soil and made big raised rows with it and put up more pipe for beans and such to grow up.  Well I am a bit administrative (no surprise there for those who know me!!) and I suggested that he get wood etc and make proper raised beds as the dirt mounds wouldn’t last through the growing season and if we boxed it in it would be easier for future blah, blah, blah!

He also wants to put dirt around the garden area that is along our fence line, I thought we should raise that up as well and get some red landscaping logs to set it apart from the grass and make it look nice!  My darling husband is all about the vegetables and doesn’t really care how it all looks so I have to put my two cents in when ever I can.  Since we plant veggies in most of the beds it looks quite barren in the off season…..(well, crap really!) and I hate that!!

So, last week he arranged for a friend to take us to Home Depot on Saturday as we don’t have a big truck!  We got up early and after getting a couple other things done arranged to go to Home Depot.  I was going to as the Supervisor!!!  I love that!  My hubby gives me a bad time about this but it’s more in fun than anything cos he really does need my help (whether he chooses to believe that or not! just ask him how many trips back in forth to Home Depot he made while building the green house to take back or get more supplies…:P )

Our new raised beds....

Our new raised beds....

After stopping for a much needed coffee we got to Home Depot and found the wood we were looking for, then it was my thing to figure out how much…..they were both laughing at me as I kept “re-figuring” the amounts but in the end I was happy with what we bought.  Then we had to find some fittings to put it all together and headed to the checkout to pay for all our items, my husband just looks at me with a wry smile as he pays thinking……”She just has so much fun spending my money!”

back three behind the greenhouse

back three behind the greenhouse

We borrowed a saw from our friend with the truck (which turned out to be a real blessing) and headed home to get to work.  We spent about 4 hours in all outside that afternoon and we got it all done!  I have found out a builder I am not, I can’t hammer nails at all!  but that’s OK cos the man of the house was brilliant!  And the wood we got was just the perfect amount which was awesome, we even had enough to make one more bed which was kind of an after-thought!

Hubby looking tired but satisfied with the work done

Hubby looking tired but satisfied with the work done

It was a fun day outside and by 5:00 I was pooped out and done….which was good timing as we were finished.  And I got a bonus of being taken out to dinner for my efforts which made a nice end to the day!

This weekend we are going to tackle the landscaping log part of our plan….I was informed I needed to help get this done before my dad’s surgery on Monday as I will be gone for the next several weekends….(It’s nice to be needed isn’t it?)

We have had a great time getting all this stuff done and so far it looks great and we already have stuff growing in the greenhouse! Wahoo!!

Cheers!

Grace

27 Feb 2009 My husband the gardener…..

When my husband and I bought our home back in 2001 my hubby said, ” OK, I will mow the yard but that’s it for me…..don’t count on my doing much else out in the garden.”   The house we bought had a lot of flower beds and although I like to have flowers and such I am better at it when the weather is mild out, once it gets really hot…..well the weeds usually win.  So, for the first few years I was the one out in the garden weeding and planting etc….. and my husband…well, he mowed the lawn

Then we were blessed with the birth of our  daughter in 2005 so from the time I got pregnant I just kind of stopped doing the gardening so much and my hubby sort of morphed into this “constant gardener”.  He decided he wanted to have a vegetable garden and just got out there and did it.  Then the next year he started transforming more of the  flower beds as I just wasn’t quite honestly doing much with them.  Each year since he has gotten more enthusiastic and well by now most of the flower beds have vegetables planted in them (I think I am down to two little spots to plant now!!!)  He is just having a ball learning about what to plant when, spending his time during the winter reading up and planning what he will plant the next spring.

greenhouse 300x225 My husband the gardener.....

Well this winter his thing was building a greenhouse…..out of PVC pipe!  I had my doubts about this plan and wondered where in the world he was going to put the thing but tried to just hold my tongue (which as you know ladies, can be quite difficult!!)  Well this last month he got started and I just watched and listened as he would share how he was going to do this and figure that out.  Last weekend he finished it and like a kid with tinker-toys he is quite proud the his “erection” out in the garden!  :)   I am really proud of him too, he would be the first to say he is not a DIY kind of person but for the last few years he has developed into quite the gardener and the greenhouse he built is just amazing!

jez and green house 300x225 My husband the gardener.....

I know he is not done yet and that this is just the beginning of a very interesting year out in our garden.  He still wants to build some cold-frames and then of course the planting starts (he is already starting some things inside!).  Being a person that has trouble relaxing and just taking it easy this is very therapeutic for him.  Our little one loves to be out there with him with her shovel.  Last year she had a pot that she grew various vegetables of her own in and she has a special spot to make mud pies which she loves to do.  She gets as excited as he does when the plants start growing! Once the harvesting starts she is out there every night with him gathering the veggies we need to make dinner.  It’s really lovely to watch them together.

tada jez and green house 300x225 My husband the gardener.....

I am truly amazed at the change in my husband, he has gone from a guy who will just mow the lawn to someone who truly enjoys being out in the garden and has a passion for growing vegetables to feed his family!  How awesome is that, I am blessed to have this man in my life (and he cooks too!!)

So, for any gardening tips…..don’t talk to me, you’ll have to track down my husband :)

Cheers!

Grace