Getting down and dirty… in the garden.
And loving every second of it.
The past few years, I’ve become more and more interested in growing things. From building a forest of houseplants to trying my hand at growing flowers and harvesting seeds, it’s been really fun to watch and learn and explore.
Maybe it’s a sign of getting older, or maybe it’s just a newfound wonder in the world around me, but watching plants grow, flowers bloom, and seasons change has brought with it a huge source of enjoyment. The kids are also starting to get into it with me — helping me tend to the plants and sharing in my wonder whenever they sprout a new leaf or their flowers bloom.
The Little was my big helper when we planted our zinnia and marigold seeds, helping me water them daily and constantly monitoring their progress. The Big found an experiment about seed germination in one of our library books, and we all enthusiastically decided to give it a go.
The experiment: Take a handful of dried beans and sandwich them in between pieces of wet paper towel, then place it in a zip top bag. Store in a sunny place or a dark place, both will work when it comes to germination.
The kids scoured the pantry found some dried chickpeas and lentils (both brown and red) to use for the experiment. The chickpeas and the brown lentils both sprouted in the week they were in their bag, while the red lentils turned into mush.
We decided to take the experiment a little further and see what would happen if we put those germinated seeds into some dirt. Turns out, they continue to grow. And surprisingly fast! This is a few days after getting them in the dirt:
The chickpea sprout is on the left (there are several more in the pot, just not pictured here) and the brown lentils sprouts are on the right.
We also recently transferred our zinnia and marigold plant babies outside. Of course, the weather took a turn and (unexpectedly) got really cold the next night, so we had to cover them and hope for the best.
The marigold seedlings seem to be doing smashingly well and are looking quite happy to be in the ground. The zinnia, on the other hand, aren’t fairing as well. About half of the little seedlings have withered and died, while the other half are getting situated in their new home. To be fair, I probably could have spent a bit more time transitioning them from the inside climate to the great outdoors, but I was getting too impatient and just wanted to get them outside.
I guess I’ll have to try again next year. I did have some leftover seeds, so put the rest of those directly into the ground. Fingers crossed they grow and we get a beautiful explosion of color and flowers. I’m sure I’ll be sharing pictures once they do.
What about you? Are you a plant parent and/or an avid gardener? What are your favorite things to grow?
X+O,
Emily
Currently listing to: The Speakin’ Easy playlist on Apple Music
Currently reading: The Write Place by Allie Samberts
Favorite thing we did last week: Nature Bracelets while walking the Panhandle Trail
Favorite thing we ate last week: Spicy Keto Korean Beef with Cucumber Salad