How Our Garden Grows

I am so enjoying our yard these days. The green-ness of spring certainly doesn't hurt, but between the children, the dog, the chickens, and the plants - there is just a lot to enjoy out there right now. It's been fun watching the girls' yard discoveries grow and change- as tiny tots, we spent a lot of time on the deck... it was easy to barricade the stairs and the girls could move from the house to the deck independently. We had toys, a water table, and a baby pool in the summer out there! Next came the front yard - a lot to see with neighbors coming and going, easy short walks up and down the street, and the tree swing that was their second bday present. Over the past year, the back yard has become part of their territory - they can go up and down the deck stairs alone and are comfortable playing out there while I'm in the kitchen, watching out the window. 

Here's the latest addition to the back yard - I found this table/chairs while poking around with my mom at one of the awesome consignment shops in North Lawrence:

Our lettuce and carrots are sprouting, protected by my DIY chicken-proof cage:

We added a fairy garden to the deck. Create. A. Fairy. Garden. Do it. My mom put one together at her house, and it was a huge hit. So she made another one. Then we made one here. And started a newer, bigger one in the front yard yesterday. I love peeking at it and seeing how things have been moved... I love listening to the girls narrate why this bird needs to sit here or that stone should go over there. 

The herb pots continue to multiply - my monster sage returns bigger and better every year and we added stevia to the mix this year along with all of the basil that we started indoors from seed. The girls are often walking around munching on a green leaf...

I love a yard with "nooks and crannies". We have plenty of open green space - some of the green is grass, some weeds. We don't spray the yard, we don't dig dandelions - it is what it is. John keeps it mowed and trimmed and perfect, in my opinion. :) But a fairy garden nook here, a chicken coop cranny there, paths between to run up and down... I love how our garden grows.