Do You Have A Dirty Mind?

So do we...

Who can deny the fun in getting a little dirty from time-to-time???  Playing in dirt and mud can be such a wonderful sensory experience and my children love it!  You can wet dirt and watch it turn into mud and then back into dirt.  You can make pies, bricks and even paint with it!

 So, why not turn it into a learning experience as well??!?

We used store bought top soil and compared it to soil collected from our garden.  Here's a few discussion ideas:

How does the two dirt samples differ?

Which dirt is softer? Which is harder? Why?

In which dirt sample might you find leaves? Bugs? Twigs? Seeds?  

Then, we went in search of some earth- friendly critters.

 

 Top 3 Earthworm Fun Facts: By Sean
1.  A worm has no arms, legs, or eyes. They have cells that are sensitive to light which helps them to navigate.
2.  Baby worms are not born, they hatch from cocoons smaller than a grain of rice.
3.  There are approximately 2,700 different kinds of earthworms.
 
 Plus, who knew that mud, soil, and worms could make a delicious after dinner treat? My youngest even discovered "bird poo" in his!  Yummo.

Chocolate Pudding, Crushed Oreo's, and Candy Worms.

Ahhh, the joys of nature.  Here is a link to some great book ideas for when you wanna get dirty ;)
http://campslop.blogspot.com/2011/06/fun-with-mud.html

I Don't Mind These Caterpillars in My Garden

I can remember the first book my oldest child "learned" to read.  My little preschooler came running into the living room to demand an audience while he recited..."Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?"  Well, he is now a big boy who prefers Harry Potter to Eric Carle.  But that old Brown Bear book by Bill Martin Jr. (author) and Eric Carle (illustrator) is still a staple in our library.  I can always identify it by the duct tape that holds it together.

Since Eric Carle is all the rave this week due to his upcoming birthday on June 25th, we decided to dust off a few of our Eric Carle classics to have a little fun.  We watched Mr. Carle read his "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" book on his official website and we made a couple of Eric Carle inspired crafts that I picked up at
http://nurturestore.co.uk/the-very-hungry-caterpillar-craft-ideas.
 The kids enjoyed making the "junk model caterpillar" which was great for recycling, exploring color shades, story telling with models, working with 3 dimensions, and small world play. 

To make the junk model caterpillar, cut a body from an egg box, provide different shades of green and paint brushes and/or little fingers, and let them go for it!  My big boy even enjoyed playing around with the homemade caterpillars while we listened to the story being read.



Here's a cute idea for a Hungry Caterpillar bookmark.  You can be as creative as you like with a couple clicks in Microsoft Word.  For some reason, my daughter preferred a picture of herself instead of a butterfly or caterpillar...little girls...go figure!

Spring Bulb Basics

It's officially the first day of summer and the unsightly foliage from my spring bulbs is not adding much appeal to my gardens.  Luckily, it's about time to give them all a prune.  Yeah!!!!  As a general rule, you shouldn't cut back the foliage of your spring bulbs before they turn brown or yellow unless you are treating them as annuals.  Bulbs gather and store energy for next years show through their green foliage (photosynthesis).  That's why one should wait for the foliage to die back naturally before giving a cut/trim.  If you cut prematurely, you'll deprive the bulbs of their food supply.  How cruel...but real tempting I know!!  Also, most bulbs benefit from a little granular fertilizer a couple of times a year; early spring before they bloom and once again in the fall.  Here's what I did to tidy up my beds...

Bundle & Tie

My fall planted daffodils were so bright and cheery this spring that I can not fathom the thought of them not rolling out the welcome wagon again next year! I have decided to bundle and rubber band the tops together to keep them out of the way until they completely brown.  Here is the finished product... 
                                                                                                                                                           

Before

After

Plant Over for Instant Color

Second to arrive this spring were my fall planted tulips.  Shortly thereafter our lake winds blew their delicate petals away, but their simplistic beauty is still worth an honorable mention.  At least the squirrels didn't snap their heads off, so I have the satisfaction of knowing they met a dignified end :)

After your tulip flower has wilted, it is helpful to the bulb to deadhead them by cutting or pinching off the tip.  In other words, cut the flower stem down about an inch from the top.  The goal in doing this is to remove the energy sucking seed pod in order to provide the bulb with as much energy as possible.  Let the stalk and leaves die back naturally for the reason stated above, then cut it back near the ground.  You don't want to give much of a pull as that may damage the bulb.

I enjoyed planting a few annuals in my tulip bed after they were bundled.  With most bulbs you do not have to worry about disturbing their deeply established root system if you are careful.  By July 4th, the annuals should start to fill out and the old foliage is definitely ready to get out!  I like annuals or perennials that are "drought resistant" to plant over/with my bulbs.  Over-watering may cause your bulbs to rot.

Before

After

Other beautiful fall planted bulbs that are successful in zone 5 include: hyacinths, crocus, snowdrops, alliums and irises.