Gardening with a Toddler

I am in full procrastination mode, listening to the thunder rolling outside and praying for rain so the well doesn't go dry earlier this year. Also, so I don't have to haul water all afternoon to water my little garden.

I have sneaky little peas popping up everywhere... seems letting a toddler loose with the seed packet means many, many more pea plants than anticipated. I am going to take this opportunity to share my notes on gardening with with a toddler - what I have learned so far:

1. This is key - fill the jug up only halfway and carry it to the garden for them - otherwise it gets dumped on the grass somewhere along the way - and if you are like us, your rain barrel water is prized and limited.

2. They will dump it instead of pouring it, so they get soaked - those noZone sunsuits rock cause they are swimsuit material and they dry really fast.

3. When you are weeding, keep a close eye, as they will see you pulling up plants and pull up the closest one to them with wild abandon - and faster than the speed of light.

4. You can get them their own tools - but they prefer yours.

5. Make cool features in the garden so they play with those (I made a ceramic cow jumping into the moon birdbath - it provides endless fun), I also made some patio stones in my pottery class which I will get to pick up next week... I can't wait.

6. Have a little rain barrel just for them, they can fill their buckets, wash their hands and feet and play with the nasty little dead caterpillars that always end up in there.

7. I made a winding path, and his favourite game is to walk only on the garden path... NOW, anyway, we had many 'babies' tromped in the process of learning.

8. specify where you will get water from - I mentioned we needed to get more water, I had a tray of seedlings we had started inside (Also a must... clear out your kitchen, get some soil and pots and plant away... he loved watching the babies grow), anyway, there was water in the bottom and he picked it up and dumped all our babies on the ground, broken : ( but only with the intention of getting the water from the tray. Cute and maddening...Grrr. But what can you say really? I told him he hurt the babies and then we buried them... morbid? I hope I didn't scar him for life.

Well, that is all I can think of right now...

Back to work.