Carrot Harvest!

The carrot greens were getting huge! So...we decided to do some picking!

Wow...that's pretty long one!

All of my Garden Babies :)

Check these carrots out...we call them "love carrots" as they were completely hugging each other!

While I dug up all the carrots in the main garden, Joshua started picking green beans
(we grew them beside the corn so that they'd crawl up the corn stalks) See him in there???

Check these carrots out! Amazing!

Wait...Caroline wants to show you too :)

Just wild...
 

Sadly, we haven't been on top of harvesting the green beans as well as we should have been...so many of them grew too big to eat.
We did the next best thing though and the kids had a blast peeling the beans out of the ? whatever you call it...the green bean

this kept them busy for an hour!

We've now got plenty of seeds to plant next Spring already!

Caleb took this shot...Elisa's showing her green bean, I guess- she likes to caulk her head

Aren't these carrots gorgeous???
Love the vibrant colors!

Elisa and her baby...I mean her spaghetti squash!

See???

We've got lots of these...we planted the seeds from a spaghetti squash we bought earlier in the Spring

Still growing...

Caroline & Joshua playing near the corn...we ate some of it a few days later-yum

Caroline and I planted some Morning Glory seeds

Our Grape Vines are making decent progress-kind of slow, but at least its growing
 

First Carrot!

Tonight I just couldn't resist pulling up a carrot to check...the tops were getting so tall, they were about 9 inches...

the carrots are still babies, so we'll wait to pull up more- the miracle of seeds growing in dirt is amazing every time!

Everything is planted...

Here is an update on our Garden/Yard...here is the view from the back patio looking to the left.
See the grand trellis? :)

We have 2 different varieties growing, one on each side...

In front of the trellis we have planted rows of Sweet corn (2 varieties) and green beans, with hopes that the beans will climb their way up the corn...we've done this successfully in the past.

In the upper left corner of this pic, we have Caleb's watermelon patch started...and in the middle are some of our "walking onions"

The big kids looking for new watermelon growth...we have some!

Joshua just out inspecting...carrots in the background
 

Trellis for the GRAPES!

Happy to announce that Ben sucessfully mangaged to build this beautiful trellis for us to grow Grape Vines on!
He completed the project in just ONE day!!!!

for more of the story see...
http://our2cutekids.blogspot.com/2010/06/ta-da.html

Working Hard

Today Joshua worked outside with Daddy on building a raise garden box for some
Radishes, Lettuce, Carrots, & Cucumbers- thanks boys!

Here is our mini Salad Garden off the back porch...we've got 4 different types of lettuces, carrots, & spinach in here
Then Dad taught Joshua how to drive the Tractor! Joshua felt big and manly :)
Ben had to sit in the back of the wagon to be able to add weight to Joshua's seat so the Tractor would turn on, as Joshua weighs just about 30 lbs. and that isn't enough to forgo the safety feature...

Joshua is a serious driver!
 

Our Tractor!

I found an awesome deal on this Mower Tractor today on Craigslist! We got it for $60 bucks! It was one of those sweet deals where someone who had acreage, was selling their house and the buyer didn't need this tractor, so the seller just wanted it gone!
Needless to say, my family is thrilled!

What fun! Elisa likes it too!

the boys were amazed at Dad's method of getting this thing up on our trailer to take home...
Daddy was THRILLED too!
 

Some Action

Today we decided to GET ON IT! We tilled the garden area AGAIN and prepared to plant!
Ben is super sick today, so all he could do is sit out in the sun in a chair....watch, take an occasional picture, and sleep. Poor Daddy.
This area used to be an English garden, with herbs and bushes and rock paths. It was nice, but not what we wanted. We've always wanted to have a big garden plot in our own backyard, so now and here is our chance!

The little ones helped too- they practiced pounding in stakes...

Here are some areas marked off for watermelons, carrots, and rubarb.

Our Chives & Sorrel are doing well already...thanks to our friend Betsy who gave us the transplants
 

Now for the biggie!

The small salad garden we started back in March was just the warm up. We are thrilled this year, to have a large garden plot on the other side of our great backyard!
Caleb and Joshua helped till the soil- they had a blast!!!

this garden bed used to be an "English Garden" with stone paths, lots of bushes, small flowers, and lots of rosemary. We've decided to take all of that out and prepare the soil for a vegetable garden...lots of work!

Joshua must have felt so "manly" to be able to use this tiller too!

Look at him work it!'

Getting the seeds in

Yesterday we worked the soil, today we planted.

I admit its hard to let the kids help sometimes...I just fight the urge to do it myself so things can be "perfect" or at least more orderly, but I did my best to let them do as much as possible. I know we won't have straight rows of lettuce and the carrots my be too close together, but it'll be okay!

They sure do get alot of joy out of it! That makes it worth it!

I did manage to put Elisa off until she's a bit bigger :)
She can help water or something
 

they all were able to water using MIST

aren't they cute?

Now its Elisa's turn!

poor thing, she will always have someone telling her how to do things