Garden Threats

Our school garden is thriving, in spite of the many threats it faces. The school borders a large greenbelt area, and the critters that live there seem to think the garden is just an extension of their land.

Rabbits will sit in the garden munching, even when the children are playing just a few feet away. When we enter the garden area, some of them will run immediately, but a couple of them continue eating, watching to see what the children are doing. They only amble off to hide when we get right up to the garden box where they are.

So far the deer haven't found a way through or around the fences, but sometimes they will be right up at the fence, gazing into the garden as we head outside. The squirrels seem to prefer the acorns from all the oak trees to anything we have so far in the garden. The birds love to eat anything the can, and it is amazing that we had any strawberries this year. We still haven't had a tomato. They are disappearing almost as fast as they are forming.

The biggest threat to the garden though, is probably the children. They love to be in the garden. Watering is their favorite activity, followed closely by digging. Picking flowers is a third favorite activity. It doesn't matter what kind of flowers. Those cute little white strawberry flowers are some of their favorite, and we could have had more strawberries if the children had learned earlier that we DON'T pick the cute white flowers.

One year it would be fun to make flavored vinegar with the chive blossoms, but those feathery purple blooms are just too much for some of the children to resist. We did manage this year to convince them that we meant it when we said, "DO NOT PICK THE FLOWERS!", and a couple of the chive blossoms survived. Not enough to make flavored vinegar though. Oh well, the children most likely would not like flavored vinegar, even in a salad dressing.

They did enjoy the radishes we picked from the garden, and today we are making strawberry smoothies with the strawberries we picked. The biggest challenge there was getting them to put them in the bucket and not directly into their mouths.

Gardening with children can be lots of work, but seeing their faces as they taste things that they grew makes it worth all the challenges.

Watering Woes

Have you ever wondered how long a particular plant will last without regular watering? I have been finding that out these past several weeks. Starting graduate school, adding new music classes to my schedule, and continuing my preschool job has really been playing havoc with my garden, and my watering schedule.

I used to go out and water in the morning before going off to work. Now, I find myself logging in to my class to check what I need to do that day. Before I know it, I look at the clock, and find that it is almost time to leave for work. So I rush out, thinking that I will be sure and water when I get home. I get home, after spending several hours with young children, come in, feed the cats, fix dinner, and sit down at the computer to work on my homework assignments. Before I know it, it is way past my bedtime, and very dark outside. So I think, I'll be sure and water in the morning. I get up the next day, and the cycle starts all over again.

I have learned that rosemary needs water almost daily when it is in a container. I'm not sure this one will survive. The thyme is looking pretty scraggly too. The strawberries look pretty good, but who knows how the berries that have already formed will turn out. Probably not very sweet. The tomatoes, carrots, and aloe vera are doing okay, but they are in bigger pots, and don't dry out as quickly. The mint is loving my shady patio, and the lack of water, and is growing and spreading like crazy. Hmmmm, maybe I just need to fill my patio with various mints.

I have survived the first three weeks of my graduate classes, and am starting to get a feel for how much work is involved, and how I can spread it out more evenly, so my garden will not be quite as neglected from here on out. Besides, I need to do something to help me stay sane, and making sure to water my plants is as good a way as any!