Hidden Gardening Benefits

One of the benefits of gardening is having fresh, organic, healthy produce available during growing season. Another benefit is getting outdoors and being active. By being outside you get Vitamin D from the sun and by being active you can lose or manage your weight. I am not saying that gardening will make you instantly slim, I have some extra poundage so I can vouch for that, but gardening will burn calories, and eating the fresh produce is way more healthy than processed or fast food.

One hidden benefit I discovered was getting the kids to eat more vegetables. My kids have never been the kind that dislike veggies, but they are more willing to try something that they have had a hand in, including the garden. They are very excited about trying eggplant and the rainbow blend carrots that they helped plant.

We've incorporated both flower and vegetable gardening into their activities. Gardening with your kids also provides some great teaching moments such as learning about seed germination, parts of a flower, plant cells and reproduction, the water cycle, nutrition, and environmental issues. We started planting with my kids as an Earth Day project and since we've started to upgrade our gardens and they are bigger and can do more, they help with everything from planting to watering, weeding, and harvesting.

So far this year my kids have planted cantaloupes, and eggplant. This weekend we plan on planting sunflowers, and strawberry plants, and if the weather cooperates, we should get more of the seeds planted in the starter pots.

The weather was nice enough Wednesday to get my garden path lights out. I really like how they turned out.

Planting the Seeds of Success?

I spent all afternoon yesterday outside in the garden. My kids played and rode their bikes and my husband helped me weed dandelions and dig holes. I transplanted some Daffodils (I know wrong time of year, but it had to get done or they were going to die anyway) and planted some purple Wandering Jew that I got from my sister last fall and rooted in water in the windowsill thorough the winter.

I also planted my carrot seeds and decided I really dislike the peat pots. I prefer plastic, but went with peat and there's no turning back now. It rained last night, and snowed/sleeted this morning but was only 36 degrees so I think my plants will be ok. Only thing I am really worried about is the Wandering Jew because the herbs should be fine.


I will attack the fire ants this week weather permitting, so my hubby can finish getting the garden spot ready. I need to map out my planting areas, and get some strawberry plants set out asap. I also got more seeds in the mail yesterday. I received Okra, same variety as last year which really produced for us (Annie Oakley), Yellow Summer Squash, Zuccini, and Sweet Corn. I did not plant zuccini or corn last year so we'll see how it comes out this year.

First Seeds Have Arrived and Herbs are Planted

The first of the seeds that I ordered have arrived! Carrots, I got a rainbow blend for the kids to have fun with and a tender sweet variety also. The kids planted cantaloupe and eggplant in their little pots yesterday which are in my kitchen windowsill. I should get my other seeds and plants this week according to UPS tracking.
(Carrot photos courtesy of Gurneys.com)


I planted my window box herbs yesterday (which are actually on my front porch rail, not a window). I will post a pic later if it stops raining, and I can get a pic of them. I planted cilantro, basil, rosemary, mint, and oregano.
I would like a couple more herbs, but I don't have room in my window box, so I'll have to decide how I want to plant them. Probably in a clay pot on my porch, maybe a hanging basket.