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Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Weather Forecast: HOT!


Bad news: Temperatures to be at near record highs of near 106 degrees today, possibly up to 115 degrees. Air quality is extremely unhealthy because of all the wildfires still burning in our area. The smoke seems to come and go with the heat and breeze but it is just amazing how much smoke has settled in our area of the world.

Good news: My garden loves the heat!!!
"A child who makes a garden, and then becomes intimate with the plants he cultivates, and comes to understand the interrelation of the various forms of life which he finds in his garden, has progressed far in the fundamental knowledge of nature's ways as well as in a practical knowledge of agriculture."
Handbook of Nature Study, page 20 in the section "Gardening and Nature Study"
Here is our progress:

Pumpkin blossom


Sunflower ready to burst open

Look at the height on these sunflowers...no matter that they were supposed to be a dwarf size so they wouldn't cover my window. I have enjoyed viewing them through the window as I work at my desk.
Coneflowers blooming all over the garden.
My precious kitty who is too HOT in this weather and lounges around anywhere it is cool and damp which this morning was in the shade on the grass.
Tomatoes getting bigger by the day.
Green beans that are climbing as high as possible.
Day lilies blooming in a variety of colors and shapes. I love the pollen on this flower.

More strawberries to come!


So much more but I will finish there for today. I wholeheartedly agree with the quote from the Handbook that I shared at the beginning of this blog entry. Children gain so much from gardening...adults too. I think it not only teaches them many practical skills but it contributes to their emotional well-being. Besides, all those fresh veggies make our bodies healthy too!

4 comments:

  1. Wow - you guys are HOT! I'm glad your gardens are doing so well. Once again, I wish I liked gardening! I don't know why I dislike it so much. I guess the heat, the mosquitos... :-) I did see our gourd is doing pretty well dispite our neglect and the WEEDS!!! So, I think we'll work on that later this week. There are actually quite a few flowers out there, but you have to find them in our weeds. :-)

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  2. Your gardens look so beautiful! Great pics, love the one of the sunflower. We planted tomatoes in pots this year, too. Ours are actually near the end of producing and dh is preparing to pot more. But we got some super tasting veggies, especially the cherry variety. We still have some cukes and red bell peppers going, and I am anxiously tending our sunflowers...lots of leaves, no flowers yet. That's one cute kitty there! My poor cats have been hounded all week by a very aggressive mockingbird...we know one of the cats are nearby when we hear it squawking lol. Thanks for sharing the pics.

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  3. Everything is looking so great! We are very hot here too, not as hot as you all but we're making it into the 90's a couple of days. But the worst thing for me is the humidity! But you're right, gardens just love that hot sticky heat. And especially the fact that it's popping up rain showers pretty frequently.

    I definitely agree with the Handbook quote too! It has been so great to watch the excitement my son has had.

    Blessings,
    Melissa
    www.homeschoolblogger.com/melissal89

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  4. I know pumpkins are in the squash family but I didn't know their blossoms look just like squash flowers! I've got a squash flower on blog post today!

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