mandag den 22. april 2013

Havearbejde og hjemmeskole -- Homeschooling in the Garden

Sidste år havde jeg mildt sagt ikke så meget energi, så bedene blev renset for rødder sidst i marts, plantet til, og så skete der ikke rigtigt mere. I år er energiniveauet højere, og lockouten lader os jo afholde biologitimer udendørs. Lige nu er lektionerne: 1) Lær at kende forskel på rødder fra kvikgræs og snerler. 2) Hvor mange gange kan man fylde en 10-litersspand med rødder fra et bed på 6 × 1,10 m. (svaret er 12!) Hønsene er vældig glade for at hjælpe os med at tømme spanden igen.
  Vi har nu ryddet to bede og i dag fik Uglemor endelig købt noget mere såjord, så nu skal der altså plantes ud. De små - eller nok ikke længere så små - planter skriger efter bedre plads.

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Last year MotherOwl, and the garden still suffered from lack of energy. The beds were weeded in March, vegetables planted and then nothing more happened. Our strawberries were almost swallowed by grass and bindweed strangled the rest. We are hoping for a better year this year.

We already cleaned two beds - the ones with grass and strawberries. The strawberries wetre moved - too late I know - but a few strawberries are way better than none. The lessons for the Owlets were: Distinguish grass from bindweed, only looking at the roots as the bindweeds are still dormant. We filled between 12 and 14 buckets from each bed, the chickens were happy helpers when it came to emptying the buckets.

Today MotherOwl bought home some planting soil. Tomorrows lesson is going to be that small plants grow bigger and will be in need of a new home with more soil (something to eat), more water (to drink) and more space (to grow even bigger). We'll look at the roots and hope for happier seedlings.

  • De to lugede bede er dem nærmest domen. Det grønne der gror i bedet nærmest fotografen (Uglemor) er pastinakker. Ingen grund til at købe pastinakfrø. Man skal bare lade en enkelt af de overvintrende skønheder brede deres gule skærme ud, og så får man millioner af pastinakker i hele haven.
  • The two beds we're done with are the two nearest the dome. De green plants in number three bed (near me) are parsnip. We planted some when we moved in, 18 years ago, and let them bloom the following year. ever since I've had no need for parsnip seeds. I just let one of these green wintering plants grow and open their yellow umbels during the summer - and make seeds. 
 
  • Spirillen miner muld til bede, frugtbuske og træer 
  • Marsupilami is mining compost for our beds, fruit trees and bushes. 
Morgendagens lektion bliver altså ompotnig af de tomater, vandmeloner osv. vi såede den 2.-5. april. Det bliver til en snak om vand, næring, lysforhold og pladsproblemer. Så tager vi nogle billeder, som vi klæber ind i en bog og skriver lidt om dem. Vi arrangerer også et væddemål/væddeløb mellem de forskellige planter; hvem får først afgrøder på »sin« plante. Skribenten vandt væddemålet om hvilken plante der spirede frem først.Det gjorde vandmelonerne.

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Homeschool lesson for tomorrow will be repotting of small plants. They really need it. We'll probably snap a few pictures, which MotherOwl will print out. They'll be glued into our books, and a description added.
When we sowed the seeds we made a competition, who can guess what'll be the first seed to germinate. The Writer won with watermelon. Maybe we'll make a new one tomorrow. Which plant will carry the first ripe fruit?

  • Disse planter længes efter at få et større hjem. 
  • Peberfrugter, tomater, vandmeloner, japansk indigo, endnu flere tomater og sukkerroer. Det eneste der ikke er spiret, er vores løvstikke. 
  • Small plants longing for a bigger home. At least some of them are. 
  •  Bell peppers, tomatoes, watermelons, dyers' knotweed, more tomatoes and even sugar beets. The only thing that did not germinate so far is lovage.

8 kommentarer:

  1. Uglemor,

    Your children must still be away from school as they're busy learning in the garden. They look like very competent helpers. Don't children learn a lot when they are involved in hands-on projects? I like your competitions! We're always making up similar games.

    I wonder if you and the Owlets could pop over here in our springtime and get our garden in order for us. I am afraid we are very hopeless when it comes to growing things!

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Oh yes, they're still home from school, and we're enjoying it immensely. The oldest have some classes as the teachers not organized in a union has to take their classes still, but it's nothing like full time, 3 lessons a day at most, and then his piano lessons, which was never a part of all this. They are learning a lot, both from the afternoon hands-on lessons in the garden and in the house, and from their books and paper lessons in the morning.

      As your spring is in the middle of our autumn where we're harvesting, making jam, preserving good etc. it's not very likely we just pop over. Not counting distance and price for the tickets ;)

      Slet
  2. Jeg havde de BEDSTE jordbær og høstede mange, mange kilo til saft og fryser, lige indtil manden kom til at blæse tidsel-/græsfrø ind i køkkenhaven med grønthøsteren. Nu ligger den brak, det klarer min smadrede ryg og CFS bare ikke... Drømmer om at få råd til at bygge højbede med helt ren, blød jord i stedet for sydsjællandsk beton, men indkøbslisten er uendelig....

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. Din mand må da rydde op efter sit "lille" uheld med grønthøsteren og flytte de overlevende jordbærplanter et andet sted hen. Vores have var Nordsjællandsk beton, da vi flyttede ind. 3 år med kompost, også fra naboens heste, hjalp på det. Nu er den helt blød, og jeg knækker aldrig mere de små haveskovle. .
      Du bliver altså nødt til at prøve den FODMAP-diæt. Jeg var også totalt tappet for energi inden, kunne ikke støvsuge mere end et halvt rum før musklerne i hænderne ikke ville holde om røret længere, og så videre.
      Jeg forundres stadig over hvad jeg har krudt til nu. Ind i mellem bliver jeg træt ved 3-4 tiden om eftermiddagen, og jeg tænker: "Åh nej. Nu går jeg i sort igen." men så kommer ægtemanden og siger om jeg ikke har lyst til en kop kaffe. Og efter kaffen kan jeg søreme fortsætte. Af og til er jeg bare nødt til at juble højt, fordi jeg ikke er udmattet efter at hente børn og købe ind.
      I dag sagde en af mine sønner: "Mor, nu er jeg altså træt og sulten. Vi er slet ikke vant til at lave så meget, for du har jo altid været så slatten." Efter at vi havde befriet halvdelen af bedet for rødder og mælkebøtter, forbarmede jeg mig over ham og gik ind og lavede mad. Det er helt vidunderligt!
      Måske vil kuren ikke udvirke mirakler for dig, men selv en lille forbedring vil da også være værd at tage med.

      Slet
    2. Jeg har reddet nogen enkelte planter, som jeg planter ud i år, men der er lang tid til jeg kan høste større mængder.

      Jeg så der fandtes en bog om FODMAP, så den tror jeg, jeg vil se efter på biblo, jeg orker ikke trawle websider om det. Det er jo helt fantastisk så godt du har fået det! Jeg har dog ikke maveproblemer, men det har manden til gengæld.

      Slet
  3. We have been very lazy gardeners here, this year. We have a raised vegetable patch and it's still empty of seedlings. You've inspired me to do some planting, Uglemor! It's a holiday weekend so I might get my husband to help, too!

    I love looking at the pictures of your garden. It looks so busy and useful!

    God bless:-)

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. But according to your blog you have been working hard indoors. My indoors does not look good at the moment, some rainy days well remedy this I'm sure, but as nice as your indoors is a long way from our present looks.
      Gardening is a forgiving thing, there's always a new opportunity. I have not qute the grasp of your seasons yet, but if you like Sue Elvis live somewhere in NSW, it seems to me the temperatures are still good for some growing ;) ... Well I found Sydney's climograph. It seems like it's alvays summer to me. What are you thinking of growing?

      Slet
    2. Runner beans grow well for us and cauliflower, broccoli, beets and carrots - winter vegetables as it's autumn here. I love fresh peas but I can't get them to grow. Maybe, it's because we live on a flood plain.

      We live a few hours north of Sue. The nights get cold in winter but the days range from cool to warm.

      I'm growing to browse your blog some more to read about your canning. I've only made marmalade and pickled beetroot, so far, but I'm wondering whether to buy a canning kit as we have lots of fruit trees - though, the possums and fruit flies eat a lot of the fruit (sigh!).

      Slet

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