annypurls: garden

The weather has been splendid around these parts lately and we've spent lots of time planning and working on outdoor projects. We set up a cedar swingset and sandbox in a corner of our back yard for Julian last weekend, had a family friend over to discuss plans for a deck extension, had a fence installed, purchased outdoor fabric to replace our swing canopy and cushions which were completely destroyed or blown away by a severe windstorm last summer, purchased a garden in a box for our flower bed out front and a lilac hedge to disguise our fence... and yesterday, on the occasion of mother's day, we all headed for our front yard to plant a wee cherry tree seedling to commemorate Logan's birth. The tree was a gift from the Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources and honestly I'm not sure how well it will do considering it is just a twig really. But we will nurture it and care for it the best we can.

I really like the idea of planting a tree to celebrate the birth of a child. Stephen's parents have two great big trees in their backyard planted when he and his sister were born. When Julian was born, Stephen's father took a new shoot from Stephen's tree and planted it in another corner of the yard for Julian. It is such a wonderful tradition and I am very proud to have Julian's and Logan's trees in my front yard, even if Logan's tree is more of a stick for now ;0)

I had a great mother's day too. Julian and daddy made a beautiful card for me and I got orange gardening gloves (my favourite) with lots of seeds to plant a children's garden in the corner behind the swingset. It gets full sun so I thought we'd try growing some sunflowers. It'll be a fun project for Julian and I to tend to this summer and I can't wait to plant them.

Stephen and Julian have already dug up the grass and put in edging and topsoil so we'll be all set for planting next weekend. I can't wait. I am however a novice gardener and need some help. I've never planted anything from seed before and am not sure about the diagram on the back of the seed packages.

It says to sow 3" apart on the left side but the diagram on the right shows the plants spaced 18 inches apart? Huh? Which is it? 3" or 18"? This brown thumb (I'm a plant killer) would appreciate any advice she can get ;0)

And finally, a little mother's day knitting miracle: we were rushing to get the kids dressed up for church on Sunday and I couldn't find a pair of shoes for Logan. Lots of singles but no matching two. I searched high and low and deep into the dark recesses underneath our bed and not only did I find another giraffe shoe just in time, but I also found this: