A chat with a rose ...

So, we came home from something or other the other day, and Eddie noticed that "his" roses weren't as big as his sister's rose. (Basically, one of hers had bloomed and his were still buds.)

These are roses we bought at stupid-big-box store years ago. Just roots, really, and the one Eddie picked out got damaged the first year. I don't remember if it was while I was planting or after or what, but it's never been as bloomy as the one Abby picked out. So when he got out of the car to see one of hers blooming big, and his just (finally) starting to thrive (thank you TAGRO), he was upset. We explained that his were coming, and all sorts of things. But he was still upset.

We, I thought, all went inside. After a little bit, we look around. Where's Eddie? We call his name, nothing. Shout downstairs, nothing. Shout out the back door, nothing. I finally walk out the front door and spot Eddie still standing on the sidewalk, in front of his rose.

"Eddie, whattaya doin'?"

"Talking to my rose. To help it grow."

Wow.

We've joined the club! Swallowed the pill!

I think my household may have entered the gardener nerd club this week. The VERY entry level club, but the club nonetheless ... why, you ask? Because we actually traded plant starts with a neighbor yesterday. My husband has been taking seeds from things and planting them in (what else) TAGRO Potting Soil. We have mini orange trees, melons and I'm sure other things sprouting in random containers throughout the house. So yesterday one of our neighbors came over with some volunteer tomato starts from her garden and walked home with some of our melon starts. We're excited to discover what kind of tomatoes we'll get, as we've been informed that while she's pretty certain they're some variety of cherry tomato, they could be yellow pear, plum, or who knows what type. The kids are happy that there will be another edible in the garden.

OTHER UPDATES:

I found out why the kids didn't like the cilantro leaves so much the other day ... ours grew big and flowered, and apparently when they go to seed the leaves turn bitter. The key to cilantro is to use it use it use it. So perhaps I planted too much ... because cilantro is a once in awhile thing. So perhaps more spinach and mint, less cilantro.

My random seed spreading in one flower bed is finally starting to show signs of life. Ok, it's shown signs of life for awhile, but the flowers and shade plants I scattered are sprouting up. I'm anxious to see color emerge ...

Corner garden coming ...

So, apparently my corner veggie garden in the sun won't be a dream for long ... the lovely husband has dug holes for the fence! A fence, you ask? Well, the deer wander our neighborhood hunting for roses, the raccoons are nothing but trouble, the cats like to find litter-box worthy dirt, and I don't EVEN want to know what other kind of trouble my future veggie garden could get into if unprotected. So when my neighbor said fence, I did not flinch. So -- fence posts dug. Cement about to be bought. TAGRO Potting Soil about to be ordered, and many more EDIBLE VEGGIES about to be planted. Woo hoo! And it's only June 1. Apparently my fantasies ... at least some ... just might be coming true this year ... :)

Incredible, Edible ... PLANTS!

My husband told the kids today which plants in my garden are edible. The chocolate mint plan, the cilantro and the spinach. And apparently my kids were hungry. After determining that the cilantro's not so great just straight, they went around munching leaves of mint and spinach the rest of the afternoon. Seriously. Plucking leaves off the plants and eating them, and claiming to enjoy them. With E, this doesn't surprise me so much. He likes to eat onions raw and has been known to push his hot dog aside and take someone's cast off burger fixings, chomping on onions like fries and rolling up lettuce and chomping on it like a carrot. But the eldest? She's known for not touching anything green and leafy. Broccoli, yes, but SPINACH? Spinach NOT covered in Ranch dressing? Wow. She just monched on it. And the neighbor girl came over, saw what they were up to, and was like "I'm hungry ..." So, apparently the way to get your kids to each their veggies is to randomly grow them, not make a big deal out of it, then tell them they're edible ... whoah. I need to get to work planting the rest of my veggies ... fast. More incentive for a greenhouse I suppose.