Tristan has been very excited all year about earning badges, beads, belt loops and arrow points for Cub Scouts. He decided to work on some of his requirements at home this summer. One requirement was to start some plants indoors as seeds and care for them. Another involved an outdoor garden box. I figured it made good sense to put these requirements together into one larger project. Tristan took his job seriously, caring for those seeds turned seedlings. He labeled each seed container with the name of the plant on a popsicle stick so we knew what was what. And when it was warm enough he helped add more soil and compost into the garden boxes with the wheel barrow and a shovel. When the soil was turned and the ground was ready and the weather warm enough he transplanted those seedlings into his garden box on the south side of the house. He checked on those little plants every single day, taking his siblings on tour with him at times, and when needed he brought the garden water from our water barrel behind the garage. Lately, with little rain and such heat he’s dragged the hose over once or twice a day to give those plants a drink. His garden has done fantastic and it’s been great for Tristan to see how a little seed added to dirt and given water and sunshine can produce food… right out of the ground. His care has made a difference.
Notice that the zucchini which Tristan planted into little cups as seeds now have leaves growing up past his waist. He was very excited to pick the first fruits of his labors on Thursday morning and bring it inside to me. The tomato plants are growing up behind the zucchini next to the blackberries and butterfly bushes next to the house and now stand taller than me up to the windows of the first floor. They are loaded with green tomatoes.
Tristan should be proud of his hard work in the garden. Everyone is excited about his food; especially Kaitlyn. They bring Lindsay out to the side garden to locate more small squash that weren’t there yesterday. Nathan loves going over with them to look at the flowers and bumble bees too.
Tristan also helped me start these cucumber plants from seeds. We are growing them as a hanging container plant and they seem to be liking that, though we absolutely have to water them twice a day right now. We don’t have much sunny ground space for them to spread out in so I grow them like this or down in the ground letting them climb tomato cages and they do really well like that. We have started getting the most crisp, delicious cucumbers for sandwiches and salads this week directly from the garden; from those little seeds that Tristan started with just a little help.
Thursday night I washed and sliced Tristan’s first fresh garden zucchini of the year and barely steamed it for a couple minutes with some olive oil and garlic to go with our apples and bean quesadillas with homemade tortillas for dinner. Tristan likes to add hot sauce or buffalo sauce to some of the slices. The kids were BEGGING for more zucchini. I had to give them some off of my plate. They ended up leaving the table when they were done, going out to the garden and finding another zucchini they deemed large enough for picking (they really do grow fast) and brought it to me. “Pleeease Mom! More Zucchini!” I told them I would save it for another meal soon… I was done cooking for the evening. That zucchini was delicious. I can’t wait for more fresh zucchini so I can make some of my favorite chocolate zucchini bread. Mmmmmm! Fresh, frozen, baked or de-hydrated, we LOVE zucchini. Looks like Tristan’s got a greener thumb than I do. Great job again , Tristan!
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