My How Your Garden Grows!

It seems that our summer sun, that we were so attentive to and appreciative of, has once again turned it's back on us. Once there is any heat in the air, my children, like most, love the good weather and will spend a great deal of time outdoors, playing games and plotting adventures. My dad has a weather glass hanging in his hall and not a day will pass without him telling us his prediction of the upcoming weather. This has led to the boys having a vested interest in meteorology, and never more so than when have some outdoor event is on the horizon, where the appearance of the sun would be most welcomed. The next few weeks will see two school tours, a school walk, school's sports day and a few important birthday parties, so Met Eireann is receiving great hits from my little men, these days. All these events are so mush nicer in the sun and I really hope, that at the very least, the rain will stay away.

All that beautiful sunshine and then the few days of rain, has really benefited the garden. Everything has started to grow at a phenomenal rate and I'm especially excited about my strawberry plants, that are currently boosting little white berries, that will soon be juicy ripe strawberries. The boys also have their own area of the garden, especially as their own little planting area and the excitement is building as carrots and other vegetables start to push through the soil. I love that the children see where some of their food is coming from and are actively involved in bringing it to the table. Tender carrots, that have been lovingly grown, are treated with a little more respect when they reach the dinner plate. This doesn't work with every vegetable, yet I feel it's important that children learn to appreciate their food.

It was my Dad who originally designed and planted my fruit and vegetable garden, almost five years ago. It wasn't long after Mam passing away, that we moved into our home, that we built just beside my parent's house. Life can be very lonely after losing a loved one and I was glad when Dad wanted to spend more time with us. As a hard working farmer, all his life, only in recent years did he get to allocate real time for his true passion, which is gardening. He has a beautiful garden with a poly tunnel packed with plants of all varieties, so when he suggested he'd plant me a veggie garden at our house I jumped at the chance.

The garden is still going strong and since Dad has got a little slower on his feet, the garden has become a real family affair to look after. Even if you only have the room for a window box, I'd recommend you grow something for your kitchen. There is a great satisfaction gained from eating something that you have actually grown yourself.

In other news, the blog got a really nice mention in this month's Glenisk Newsletter, as their blog of the month. I was over joyed with Emma's kind words. Clink on the link to have a read.