Next week is “In the Garden” week at Aurora’s preschool, so
we got a head start by walking around the Eagle Heights Community Garden (No.
11). Last year at this time, the
garden was lush and full of green leafy vegetables and lettuces, even the
tomato plants had started to flower, but this year’s long cold spring meant we
mostly looked at flowers.
We peaked at people’s plots and spotted creeping
strawberries, leafy rhubarb, raspberries bushes and other yummy, sweet
treats. We found early green
leaves from potatoes, onions, and beets. We picked weeds growing in the paths
so that we could taste the gently bitter dandelion greens and smell the cool,
crisp aroma of freshly crushed mint leaves.
We retrieved Dad, who had been working hard in our own plot,
and Adeline, who had been napping hard in our own plot, and spread a blanket in
the shade for a peanut butter and banana sandwich picnic lunch. We watched the tree swallows swoop
across the gardens as the cowbirds picked seeds from the freshly worked dirt.
As the season progresses, it will be fun to watch the dirt
kinds of fruits and vegetables grow to maturity. The garden is a great place to see orioles, cranes, and
hawks. And we know of no place
that has better mud puddles for splashing after a good rain!
