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Our new tomato plants - Early Girls
Tuesday
Plant a garden this week. Today, I show off our newest garden plot, planted this weekend.
We are what one might call urban farmers. Our yard space isn’t that big, but what ground we have, we use wisely. We rotate crops around the front and back yards and have fun with it. We are organic gardeners, too, but a more appropriate term for our style of gardening is plant-it-and-forget-it. We opt to buy organic seedlings and we tell the plants, “good luck, see you at harvest time”. I will add, though, that we do water the plants.
Ready to plant the tomatoes
Where did our dinner come from? My daughter asked me this question the other day. The food-to-table movement runs deep in our house. We like to know where our produce, meats, fish, fruits, and nuts come from. One of the best ways to show our children where our foods originate is to grow them ourselves.
Our daughter helped us choose which ones we would grow: carrots, onions, romaine and bibb lettuces, arugula, green peppers, and tomatoes.
Children are excellent at directing the planting day
Tomorrow, learn how easy it can be for you to plant your own garden.
Enjoy!
Amie
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- Early Girl Tomatoes – yum!
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- Carrots, lettuces, and onion in an old bath tub
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- Carrots, lettuces, and onion in an old bath tub
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- Artichokes, fig trees, and old pinecone feeder. See the new leaves on the fig tree?
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- Ready to plant the tomatoes
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- Artichoke
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- Share in the work together as a family
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- As you do, I do. Modeling is an effective teaching method
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- Science lesson together
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- Found a worm
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- Children are excellent at directing the planting day
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- Children love to pick veggies
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- White onions
Hi Amie,
I am so happy to see you all out there in the backyard, getting dirty and digging up dinner- literally! I am so inspired, as I know that your daughter is such an adventurous eater because of the amazing example you two set!
So, until I have a backyard to dig around in, I will have to settle for an invite to the harvest party!
XO- Brynn
[Reply]
intheloving
Reply:
February 16th, 2011 at 5:13 pm
@Brynn,
Come on over! Let’s see if we can set up a day and time where other local families might want to bring over their backyard bounty so we might break a little homemade bread together!
Love,
Amie
[Reply]
That’s so great, it inspires me to get out in my own garden. We planted a white donut peach that is already flowering. I am waiting on my lettuce & peas, they grow so slow in the winter. I need to get some seedlings started at school! Thanks for the inspiration.
[Reply]
intheloving
Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
@Leslie Ogg, We have a peach tree, too, but it’s cross pollinator didn’t make it, so we have to go buy another. I wil keep everyone posted on the progress of our lettuces. Keep me posted, too, on your lettuce and peas. I agree they take forever. I believe this is why baby arugula and baby lettuce is so popular – not because they taste sweet, but frankly because we can’t wait any longer to enjoy the bounty! Happy Gardening.
[Reply]
Leslie Ogg
Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 7:56 pm
@intheloving, try the Bay Laurel Nursery it’s in Atascadero, you can mail order a bare root tree. They have all the specifications about chill hours, etc. this area needs low chill varieties. We have a fig tree I got from them it’s been bearing probably 500 figs every year!!
[Reply]
intheloving
Reply:
February 27th, 2011 at 10:20 am
@Leslie Ogg, Thanks for the Bay Laurel Nursery tip. We’ll check them out in the next week. I would love to see pictures of your garden. If you get a chance, upload a few into our Flickr account at http://www.flickr.com/photos/babyinbliss
Wow, you’re already out there! Your garden looks great, and it looks like your daughter had a fun time. I just spent a pleasant evening yesterday planning our garden for this year and starting seedlings indoors with my three-year-old. They really do take to it!
[Reply]
intheloving
Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:06 pm
@Lauren @ Hobo Mama, Yes, they do, and the best part is the munching that ensues after! Like Brynn’s sister said, it’s about starting them when they are young to instill a life-long passion. Upload a pic on our flickr account when you and your 3 year old transplant the new seedlings outdoors at http://www.flickr.com/photos/babyinbliss
[Reply]
Hi Amie,
I think I was a bit generous in my perception of the toddler-palate (*smile). I imagined that if it tasted yummy to me, they would think it was super delish too. Right?! After failing miserably in the introducing new, adventurous food into my own toddlers diet department, I totally see now the importance and value of getting the kids to really ‘dig-in’ to where their food comes from.
[Reply]
intheloving
Reply:
February 20th, 2011 at 3:06 pm
@Brynn, That is wonderful insight. I think we have become so alienated from where our food originates. We have been growing veggies since before our daughter was born, and I know that her being around the garden since birth has really shaped a life-long love of healthy food. Some children seem to be more adventurous than others, though, so keep that in mind.
[Reply]
intheloving
Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:01 pm
@Brynn, I totally agree starting when they are young. Modeling is so key here in this arena of eating. Is your sister eating healthy – salads, raw veggies, fresh fruits, water? If not, then that is where to start first. If the only options in the house for snack are healthy, fresh, raw, whole, organic choices, that’s what children will eat. What do you think?
[Reply]
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