Sunday, October 28, 2012

JR the Gardener

With Fall half-way through, it is nice to have a reminder of the wonderful days of Spring. While Falls comes with its own array of planting opportunities, JR and I do not have enough room to cater to these wondrous blooms. Instead, we still gaze at what is left from our Spring harvest- basil and mint - and look forward to next Spring when we can plant again.
 
This was the first gardening year for JR; well of course it was, the girl only turned two this year! But she seemed to know what to do right from the start: Scoop out the dirt with the shovel first. Decide the shovel was not worth the work. Ditch the shovel for hands. One at first, then two at once. Add water. Make mud. Play in the mud. Then add the seeds. Add more dirt. Make more mud. Then, ask Mama to clean up! Is there any other way!
 
It was so much fun watching her engage in this nurturing process. She was careful with the positioning of the seeds and made sure she put enough, although sometimes she put a little too much! Once the pot was completed, she moved it to the side, and took out another and began her work again. Several pots later, our planting was done, and it was time to "watch" the plants grow.
 
Every day for weeks, JR would wake up in the morning, fill her little water pitcher up and water her plants. What joy it was to see the first strawberry bloom, grown, and ripen. Then the mint, the basil, the parsley and cilantro made their entrance. At harvest time, JR made sure she cut some up for Mama's kitchen and some for her play kitchen; after all she wanted to make dinner for Baba.
 
 

JR showing off her garden.
 

Busy watering.
 

 
Preparting for harvest.
 
 
Tasting her crop.
 
 
Returning the plant to the sun.
 

Cleaning up.

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