Never too old to learn

"Hop, Hop, Hop like I bunny. Bunnies love carrots and I do too!"
 -Johnny E Barker age 3 

This year was our second year attempting a home garden. The first year we used some seed, mostly starter plants. This year we planted strictly seeds. We have learned several things from our experience. Here is my top ten things we have discovered about our home garden experience.

1.) You MUST trim the branches back to get enough sun. Sounds silly I know, however I thought we had enough sun last year.

2.) Mosquitoes LOVE my garden! I can not even stand to pull the weeds. There are thousands of the little pests hovering just above (maybe in?) in soil.

3.) Carrots.... they are easy to grow. They need to be planted much deeper next year. Also following the advice on the seed pack of how far to space them IS important!

4.) Garden Beans need something to climb. They also will be burned up by the sun in a matter of one weekend away.

5.) Cucumbers take over your garden. They have attached themselves to everything!

6.) Pumpkins, Watermelon and Cantaloupe.... I thought for a bit we would produce some. Not a single one survived. Research must be done on how to grow them.

7.) Squirrels will dig up all sunflower seeds.

8.) Green and Red Pepper plants keep flowering, and then nothing. Interesting.....

9.) Deer will jump a fence to nibble in your garden.

10.) Most important lesson of all...... A three year old is amazed at how a seed turns into a plant and food!

We enjoyed working with our hands. Who does not like playing in the dirt? The reward of saying that was grown in our garden is priceless. The memory I hope my children will take with them is the time we spent together planting, weeding and discussing how plants grow. We praise the Lord for moments like that.

 "Those who labour in the earth are the chosen people of God."
- Thomas Jefferson