This week I’m really working hard to get the garden all planted. This includes transplanting the strawberries from their overgrown patch to long rows protected with landscaping cloth and “mulch” from the chicken coop litter. It also includes planting all the rest of the vegis… and neither of those 2 jobs are done yet. However, the week isn’t done yet either, so we’re good.
Knut finally tilled the whole garden for me. He tills deep, and afterwards it’s a big pit of soft, dark soil. I had to keep working on the strawberries, and of course the kids wanted to come with. So they took off the shoes and ran across the soil that they sank into many inches with each step. They built dirt castles. They ran leaping races. The above picture you’ll see what I saw for a few hours as I dug up the strawberry plants. (That row is spinach that just started coming up this year. I guess I accidentally let some go to seed last year. O well, head start with spinach.) Knut moved it into a row as he was tilling.
Silje and David had a blast burying their feet, leaping across end to end, and making dirt angels. I kept thinking, “Does it make me a good mother, or a bad mother that I’m letting them get this dirty?”
Elias played by himself mostly, which is pretty typical for him. He doesn’t like people messing with his stuff. He mostly made dirt castles.
Solveig was a riot to watch. She mostly preferred laying on her belly, and just playing with the dirt in front of her. Lifting it up, letting it drop. Repeat.
I’m pretty sure she was playing with some worms, too.
The kids all got a much needed bath that night, after way too much dirt was trampled across my house. I found out later that I wasn’t supposed to let them play in the freshly tilled garden as I worked on the strawberries because the footprints will make my seed planting go at different depths, and that’s bad. So I guess it doesn’t necessarily make me a bad mom, just a bad gardener. Well, I can handle that.
I’m surprised that each year I find out more things that I should and shouldn’t do that seem to be common knowledge to most farmers wives. I remember my first garden I didn’t know you were supposed to plant along a plumb line to make sure your rows were perfectly straight. Knut was horrified when our peas came up in a long wiggly line. I told him if he complains, next year I’m just spinning around in a circle with random seeds in my hand and we’ll see what grows where. That’ll get people talkin’.
And that’s how this farmer’s wife rolls…
amy + ryan says
April 26, 2012 at 1:43 pmGoodness, you make me laugh. I love the image of you spinning around, randomly strewing seeds. I’ll say it again: your blog blesses and encourages me. Thanks for writing. Also, I love these pictures of your cute kiddos getting dirty – especially the one of Silje with her hair splayed out on the dirt. As far as I can tell, you’re a great mom and a darn good gardener. 🙂
Anonymous says
April 26, 2012 at 1:47 pmI laughed so loud reading your post that the noise startled me as it’s quiet here this morning.
I like the idea of random plants growing in random places.
You really blessed me this morning.
Andrea Perry
Tammy says
April 26, 2012 at 2:27 pmAll of the above makes you a GREAT momma!!! I didn’t realize you have to plant along a plumb line…really??? Hmmm…I think random, or at the very most wiggly rows are much more organic. The more wiggly the better…and that’s how this farmer rolls too! 🙂
Blessings to you and your family!
Tammy
rachieannie says
April 26, 2012 at 2:48 pmI LOVED playing in the dirt as a little girl. It just felt so good. So I say you’re a good mom – at least a good farm mom, which really is a different world than being a town mom 🙂
little macaroon. says
April 26, 2012 at 5:05 pmI’ve heard that it can sometimes be a good thing to plant your veggies in random clumps, because I plumb line makes it much easier for a pest to decimate the whole row in one go… feel very welcome to try that reasoning the next time, though I suspect it wouldn’t work on a farmer!!!
Lots like a lovely fun day 🙂
little macaroon. says
April 26, 2012 at 5:05 pmGeez, sorry for the rubbish spelling.
Canna says
April 26, 2012 at 7:16 pmI have just discovered your blog a few days ago, and it is such a blessing. Not in a trying to be nosey kind of way, but I would love to get to know you better. I feel like we have a lot of similarities, though I think your probably far more talented than I am… at least in different areas, like making your own knitting patterns.
Mom says
April 26, 2012 at 7:17 pmI love it! I bet a lot of kids would want you for their mom!
Melissa says
April 27, 2012 at 2:11 amI’m so glad to know you.
Anonymous says
January 1, 2014 at 3:35 pmDirty kids are happy kids! Barefoot is a part of childhood. You are a great mother!