Quiet Time in the Garden

Last time I was in the garden with children painting bird houses and making a toad abode. We did a little math, learned the word abode and talked about what toads and frogs need and why we need toads and frogs. This time I was alone in the garden and very aware that I needed to garden slowly and quietly instead of my usual “let’s get a lot done today” style. I added a lobelia cardinalis and a fern to the west side of the toad abode to provide more shade for the tadpoles and gave the whole area a long slow shower with the hose adding just a little water to the toad abode because I didn’t want to add too much chlorine. I watched a pair of beetles on the log we added to make it easier for frogs and toads to get in and out of the toad abode. I watched the tadpoles wriggle near the edge of the abode catching tiny things to eat and caught a glimpse of a half inch 4 legged frog! The first tadpole I have seen with all four legs ready to take its place in our garden! I added a couple more tomatos and realized our well mulched playhouse was actually too wet in spite of the dry weather. Don’t forget to put a finger in the soil before watering, the mulch may be working better than you expected and a plant can wilt from too much water as well as too little. So let’s learn math, vocabulary, integrated pest management, gardening for wildlife and how to sit quietly observe and appreciate all that is in our garden. Meditation, our next lesson?