Our Garden Currently: Lots in Bloom

I have been so pleased with the raised bed-type of gardening we went with this year. We have had such great fun with them and even more fun watching everything start to bloom. The honeybees have been partying all over the flowers and I have enjoyed watching them hum about as I do weed control in some of the beds. I randomly sprinkled herb seeds throughout the beds this year too, just to see what I would get and even the herbs like, dill, cilantro, and chives have thrived in the beds too.

Dill growing between the carrot rows.

 

Yellow Squash and Zucchini Blooms

Cucumber Blooms

Mini Pumpkins

Carrots

Irregular Gourds

Yellow Squash

Yellow Squash

Broccoli

Snap Peas

Beans

Full view of the garden and raised beds

Birdhouse Gourds

Spinach

Radishes

FYI:  We don't eat radishes, we only plant this to attract pollinators and to keep the snails off our other plants.  IT WORKS!

Lettuce

Watermelon and Large Pumpkins



I am looking forward to harvesting a lot of good stuff here real soon and canning a few of them for over the winter.  We have already been able to pick a few peas here and there, but I can't wait till I get to steam some yellow squash and beans for dinner and pickle some cucumbers.

Eco-Tip:  Consider unplugging certain appliances when you leave for an extended trip or vacation.  Large appliances and even some smaller ones, like your television, draw unneeded electricity if when they are turned off.  For more tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.



    

Taking to the Water like a Fish

Skylar has been learning to snorkel this summer and along with snorkeling he has improved his swimming skills too.  At the beginning of the summer, we took a trip to Arkansas and stayed at a hotel with a very large swimming pool.  When we headed down to the pool to swim, the first morning we were there, Skylar jumped head first into the deep end of the pool.  After hitting the water he quickly realized he was in big trouble and I found my heart really can sink to the bottom of my feet.  He was splashing and gargling out the word help as he treading water violently.  Jeff quickly jumped in and rescued the brave boy and from that point on I walked around the rest of the afternoon like the tin man on The Wizard of Oz, shaky and nervous. 

I think it was at that point, Jeff and I both realized that Skylar needs swimming lessons or at least some practice swimming.  Where we live, in the city, we don't have access to a lot of swimming areas around that can be used for swim lessons.  The community pool offers swimming, but the area where the kids have to stay is always so crowded with people, especially during the summer months.  

With all of this being on the table we decided to purchase our own pool, deep enough for Skylar to swim and feel comfortable in the water.  This little pool was a big hit and has helped him gain better control of his swimming and paddling around in the water.  

Since the first of the summer at the hotel pool in Arkansas, Skylar has come a long way.  He enjoys jumping in the pool and we have even taught him how to float on his back.  He loves snorkeling around the bottom and next summer, I think we will upgrade to a larger pool and let him get his feet wet even more.  

Skylar says, "Next year will be the summer I swim a full lap around the deep end of a pool without stopping."  And I bet he will too!

Eco-Tip:  When it comes to washing your clothes, switch to an earth-friendly laundry soap and make sure it's  phosphate-free.  Phosphates cause oxygen-depletion in the water system that can eventually end up in our oceans and rivers.  This can lead to death in aquatic life.  For more tips visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.