We have really been enjoying Spring so far. We did tons of clean up and pruning this past fall, and we are reaping the rewards this Spring!!! I love having a beautiful garden, full of flowers that decorate the property and my home ;) . I also love having plants that I can actually use in my cooking. I have been looking into planting several types of vegetables and herbs, but we do not have anything set up right now for me to plant all the things I want to plant. So, we are sticking with the things we can grow in a pot. Last year I was very successful in growing basil, and I use a ton of it in the kitchen ;) , so we planted more basil outside in the beautiful planters Chris bought me a couple years ago...
Basil is also a plant that repels mosquitoes - which makes it a perfect pick for our deck ;)
I am also growing basil on my kitchen counter. I couldn't wait to have fresh basil in my kitchen, and I saw some on sale at the grocery store, so I grabbed it. I didn't realize until I got home, though, that the basil still had roots on it. I put the basil in a fresh cup of water - to keep it fresh until I use it - and low and behold, it is growing!!! Craziest thing!!! So, I clip what I need, keep the water fresh, and we will see how long that lasts ;) - YEAH!!!
I do not use a whole lot of rosemary in my cooking, but I love, love, love the smell. It also happens to be a mosquito repelling plant, so I planted a pot of that on my deck as well. I love to clip it and just put it in the house to smell ;)
Joshua planted mint last year, and it came back this year. He is very proud that it came back so healthy...it has lots of big juicy leaves on it!! I love having mint handy. I use it in my tea, as garnish for different things, and also in salads. The kids love grabbing a leaf and eating it while they are outside playing - and yes, they make sure there are no spiders or dirt on it before they put it in their mouths ;) And, our recurring theme of mosquito repelling plants returns, as mint also repels mosquitoes. I love multiple purpose plants ;)
Jason helped to pick out and plant the strawberries. Strawberries are a staple food in our home in the summer, so we might as well grow some ;)
There are lots of blooms and baby strawberries on it already....
Of course it helps to have a Gnome keeping watch ;)....
In keeping with our theme of mosquito repelling plants, I planted some lavender. Lavender is another plant that I love!!! Not only does it repel mosquitoes, it smells AMAZING, and can be used in tea, in cooking, and in sachets and soap...I am going to have some fun with this plant!!!
Elli helped me pick out and plant the lavender....
Trevor is a clown...have I mentioned that before? Trevor found a nut - we have an inkling that it may be oak since we have so many oak trees around - that was buried by a squirrel and forgotten. The nut actually had roots and a baby tree sprouting from it, so he planted that in a pot and is determined to "mother" it until it can be transplanted....he named it Rufus...
This year we also planted lambs ear. Yes, that is actually the name of the plant....
You can see that the leaves are fairly big, and look a little like a lambs ear. What you cannot see is how amazingly soft these leaves are!!! Lambs ear is actually considered a weed in Turkey and Iran, where it originated, and it will take over your garden, which makes it perfect for a potted plant. It is supposed to be an herb and have some medicinal use, however, Brandon came up with his own ideas about what lambs ear would be good for....I will give you a clue. What could a large, extremely soft leaf be used for when you are camping and need to go to the bathroom or blow your nose...enough said? What else would a Civil Air Patrol Ranger think of ?
Reagan helped pick out and plant the lambs ear...it is soft and sweet like he is....
Remember the mums that came back last year? They returned for another season....
They won't bloom their beautiful red flowers until fall, but I still think it is amazing that they keep coming back....
Leah is also LOVING the Spring. She is getting old and grey, but she feels like a pup running around outside, playing with the squirrels in the sunshine ;) You can see a little of my beautifully blooming garden in this picture....
Here is another beautiful bloom...all tuckered out from gardening with mom ;)
2 comments:
Really like your new background. It is a good representation of spring. Brandon is so right...the American Indians used lambs ears for toilet paper years ago when they were nomads. I kid you not!
We have huge fragrant rosemary bushes here in our back and side yard which the bees love. I wonder if it the kind I can use in cooking. We only grow basil and mint up north as it doesn't last here in the valley. We started some basil, dill and parsley from seed in pots and will take them to the mountains with us. My mums never seem to last through the winter. But we did have tons more snow whites and daffodils this year. I will take some of the bulbs up north and plant them to see if they will survive the winter up there.
I never had time for gardening when raising the children. Your's are so fortunate to have a stay at home Mom to take time to teach them about everyday wonders.
Loved your post with all the pictures, especially the last picture.
WONDERS NEVER CEASE. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL ARRAY OF PLANTS N FLOWERS. GREAT THAT U CAN GROW SOME OF THEM N USE FOR COOKING. LOVE THE PICTURES OF THE BOYS SHOWING THEIR PLANTS AND HOW THEY CAN BE USEFUL. SOOOOFUNNY. I ESPECIALLY LOVE THE LAST BLOOM. SOOOOOBEAUTIFUL. I LEARNED A LOT. LOVE N MISS U ALL. MOM
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