Out My Kitchen Window

We've all heard it, April showers bring May flowers. For Nebraskans it's May showers that have helped kick in the May flowers and we hope this just continues. We sure don't want more storms.

We've lucked out where I live that iris stems stand tall and the winds haven't caused any damage. Others haven't been so fortunate.

I guess that is why when a flower bud opens, we better enjoy the show. I look out my kitchen window and realize what a blessing it is to be able to view the flowers.

Not only the early blooming flowers have done well, but it seems that the ever popular Hen and Chicks have multiplied quite well this year. I've been able to share them and also split and plant more beds with them.

There is nothing more old-time unique than a pan filled with hen and chicks. At a recent garden club plant sale, older recycled baking pans planted with the hen and chicks were a quick seller.

I found another fun way to use and share the hardy little succulents. When great granddaughters came for a play day we made a dinosaur garden. Instead of the little figurines used for fairy gardens, toy dinosaurs were used in the garden

The idea was not original, it came from an internet posting. I dug into the potting shed and found a large plant saucer with holes already drilled in the bottom. A scrub down followed and then dinosaur foot prints were painted on the side. Light weight succulent potting soil was added.

When the little girls arrived I plucked out various sizes of the plants and helped them nestle the plants into the soil.

We went outside and selected special rocks to place in the garden dish.

Four little hands spread a sprinkling of gravel over the soil in the pot and patted it down in anticipation of prehistoric creatures.

Then the real fun began.

A bag of dinosaurs purchased at a dollar store were given to the girls. Those little hands knew exactly what dinosaurs do.

They roar as they climbed among the rocks and plants and even crept around the outside of the garden dish.

The hen and chick plants weren't even eaten by the dinosaurs. The girls took care to not let the dinosaurs do that.

When their mom arrived the girls were excited to show her what they had made. I was just as excited to send the dinosaur garden home telling their mother that the saucer full of fun should be easy to care for.

I hope the girls continue to play with the dinosaur garden and remember the fun we had putting it together. I also hope they learned just a small part of the joy of gardening.

The dinosaur garden may roar a bit, but we all know Mother Nature does roar. We just need to enjoy the quiet moments we are given as we look at the gifts Mother Nature has given us in the garden.

At our house we also have been given the gift of another generation of children to share our garden and garden stories with. That perhaps is the best garden tip I can give. Take time for children in your gardens. They are the loveliest blooms ever.