for the birds

bug is a collector. it's really not his fault. it's genetics, pure and simple. his grandpap is a collector of world war two books, model airplanes, old romance novels, milk glass, old fishing tackle, and mcdonald's fast food toys (and that's not really even scratching the surface). his grampy searches craigslist and ebay on a daily basis in hopes of finding all manner of odds and ends he's looking for. my husband and i are no better. i've got more art history books, milk glass, and needlepoint pillows than i could ever use. my hubs has, well... really, anything electronic will do.

with all of this at work in his dna, it should have been no surprise to me when, over last summer, bug acquired the habit of collecting pine cones whenever we visited the park. it was always the same scene. first, the excited squeal: "momm-mme!". then, the race to find me from across the park. next, the ceremonious display of his thrilling new find. always followed by my utter shock and amazement at this unbelievably beautiful tree dropping. and last, his insistence that we really, really needed to bring it home with us. what mother could turn away such innocent pleas from her adorable three year old son?

this would have been okay if it had happened once or twice. but my little boy is a true collector. and so, by summer's end we had amassed a collection of pine cones to rival the most dedicated child's collection of thomas trains or bakugan toys. we had a lot of pine cones.

on occasion throughout the fall, i would remind bug of the presence of his pine cones. say when i found another two or three in a cup holder in the back of the truck. or in the bottom of the stroller. or when my eyes focused for a moment on the large clear, glass jar on the kitchen counter which proudly displayed the majority of bug's collection. each time i would make the mistake of asking if he might (pretty please) be ready to dispose of them. silly mommy. of course he wasn't ready to get rid of them. he thought they were great.

fortunately, as tends to happen with most things around here, it all sorted itself out. it took several months for this project to resolve itself. but i think we're all pretty proud of the result.

fall eventually turned to winter here in the mid-atlantic. and we actually got some snow. and bug and i talked about how the birds have a hard time finding food to eat in the winter when snow is covering the bushes and the ground. and bug decided that we should make baby bird feeders with his pine cones. not just plain old bird feeders; baby bird feeders. perfect. bug and the future mrs. bug (his little buddy lou) had a ball creating their baby bird feeder masterpieces on a cold winter's day earlier this year.

the final product hanging in one of our trees...

we're hoping the birds like them just as much as the kids enjoyed making them.

baby bird feeders

what you'll need: pine cones, peanut butter, bird seed, butter knife, small bowl, plate and string.

1. gather pine cones

2. fill small bowl about half full with bird seed

3. using knife, cover pine cones thoroughly with peanut butter

4. roll pine cones in bird seed

5. set pine cones on plate until dry

6. using string, hang pine cones in trees

7. watch out the window for customers!

what are some of your childrens' favorite winter arts and crafts projects?

the stinking rose

our family participated in a csa (community supported agriculture) program this past summer, and i loved it. for twenty weeks, we drove five miles down the road to pickup our weekly share of locally grown, organic produce from our chosen farm. our veggies never traveled in a truck, were never treated with chemical pesticides, and 100% of our payment went directly back into our local economy. what a deal.

i had such a great time taking lulu and bug to the farm each week... showing them the animals happily grazing on the pasture, identifying the tomato vines and other plants, and showing them what a real honest-to-goodness carrot looks like (green flowery stalk and all; no bagged baby carrots here), that i've now got the itch to have a garden of our own. our yard isn't huge by any means, but i'm already planning out what we'll plant and attempt to grow in the spring. and, in fact, what we're starting to plant now... like the stinking rose (otherwise known as garlic).

did you know that planting one individual clove of garlic will grow an entire new garlic bulb? or that these cloves get planted in the fall (just like flower bulbs) to produce new growth in the springtime? yeah, neither did i (until i did a little research recently). did i mention that they are ridiculously easy to plant? they are. and they don't take much space either... in one hour, i planted thirty cloves in a space measuring less than three feet square.

the only tricky part to planting garlic cloves is that you probably shouldn't use garlic purchased at your grocery store. their product has likely been treated to prevent the onion from sprouting (yes, garlic is in the onion family). you can find garlic for purchase online though, or at your local farmer's market. so, if you'd like a full stock of garlic for next summer's pastas, pestos and other savory dishes at virtually no cost, read on.

oh, and consider yourself warned, dear reader... i'm sure this won't be the last time i blog about our family's gardening adventures!

p.s.

1. will i participate in our local csa program again next year? yes.

2. why? because we had a great experience with it this year. it challenged me to cook veggies that i'd never used before (like kale and beet greens), helped me to make sure i was providing meals at home rather than dining out, and gave us a powerful connection to our local economy. and, honestly, who knows... i'll improve the soil, plant some seeds and water, but nothing may actually grown in my little backyard garden... the csa is a natural plan b for me!

planting garlic cloves

what you'll need: garlic bulbs (ones that have not been treated to prevent sprouting), compost (if your soil needs a boost), gardening gloves and shovel.

1. separate individual garlic cloves from bulb head

2. select your biggest cloves to use for planting (none with surface damage)

3. using shovel, dig trenches at least 6" deep

4. don your gardening gloves and mix in your compost (if necessary)

5. place garlic cloves in trenches, at least 6" apart

6. cover cloves with soil

7. wait patiently for the scapes (stalks) to sprout in early summer

what else should we plant in our garden? send us your suggestions.

root down

if you're anything like me, the fall season brings to mind nostalgic visions of football games (little league, college or nfl - you choose), brisk mountain hikes, apple cider, and pumpkin patches. and if you have small children, it means hours spent jumping into leaf piles (ala linus from charlie brown). it is filled with lazy days spent pretending to read a novel while you instead doze with said book tucked under your arm. who wouldn't fall asleep wrapped in that toasty, warm blanket. hibernation? yes, sign me up.

with these dreamy thoughts percolating in my mind, it is nearly impossible for me to even consider the reality of a season called spring. but nature has her masterplan, and it includes a bit of preparation for the easter parade of lilies, iris and tulips that show their bright, flashy colors each year. and so, armed with the usda's plant hardiness zone map reminding me that it is in fact planting season here in zone 6b, this week i undertook an outdoor project... my very own (petite version of the) big dig.

i'm not one for delayed gratification, so it was a stretch for me to put my tulip bulbs into the ground knowing i wouldn't see them again for months. but i'm rooting for them anyway (har, har). i know that come april their dots of color along my front porch will be a welcome respite from the cold, gray days of winter.

here are three of my thirty little guys. i've affectionately named them mca, adrock and mike d. hey, if we're going to root down, we may as well do it with the beasties!

here's hoping they sprout into blossoms worthy of their advertising campaign

Planting Flower Bulbs

what you'll need: gardening gloves, a hand trowel (or shovel), compost and/or fertilizer (if your earth looks like it could use a boost), and the flower bulbs of your choice. this time of year, bulbs are readily available at most any local hardware store or gardening center. i picked banja luka and apeldoorn tulip varieties found at my local home improvement shop.

1. select a sunny (or partially shaded) spot

2. don gardening gloves

3. using trowel (or shovel) dig to 12" deep and cultivate earth with compost/fertilizer (if necessary)

4. set bulbs at 5" below soil level, at least 4" apart

5. water (if your soil is bone dry)

6. hibernate until spring

-- when in direct conflict with the steps above, follow the specific instructions found on the inside of your bulb packet

tell us: what's your favorite spring bulb?