Science & Seeds

In school we have been pushing hard on the math and grammar lessons since the second semester began. Science has been neglected for an entire quarter. In order to get that horse back on track, I have declared this week to be Science Week, with a bit of history and reading filling out the rest of the time. But we will do an experiment every day this week. This will bring us nearly up to speed with the rest of the subjects. Then the challenge will be to balance them all so we do not have to extend and classes into the summer. I really don't want to do that.

The Artist writes her science definitions. The Engineer practices crafting letter 'R'.

The kit containing our physics experiments has taken its place on the table and the Artist is grudgingly looking up definitions of terms used in today's experiment in her science encyclopedia. We will learn about how an inclined plane is part of a wood screw and make a model screw with pencil and pipe cleaner.

materials for today's experiment

She loves the experiments but despises doing the write-ups for her experiment note book. Such is life!

Yesterday I did an experiment of my own. I was greatly disappointed in last year's vegetable garden. Most of my disappointment was due to deer, rabbits and chipmunks gobbling up sprouts the day after they dared to show their greening faces to the sun. I planted my three little rows of bush beans three times it seemed, and still ended up with very few plants. In past years the beans had been the most successful plants in my garden. I usually harvest enough beans to freeze to last for a few months into the winter. Last year I didn't quite fill a one-gallon freezer bag.

I'm hoping that planting seedlings in the garden plot rather than seeds will reduce or eliminate the problem. Yesterday afternoon I got out in the glorious sunshine and planted seeds in old paper egg cartons.

My family took the first shots of the new year at the basket ball hoop, the Artist scraping rust off her technique, the Engineer making his first basket all by himself, and the Quipper coaching in-between his own shots.

With the rhythmic thumping and cheers of encouragement and celebration in the background, I used my trowel to mix potting mix and water in a big bucket. I plan to plant beans, peas, lettuces, tomatoes and green bell and mild peppers again this year. I was limited, however to four-dozen-less-one egg cups (For the life of me I can't recall what I needed that one egg cup for earlier this winter!) of seedling space. So the only seeds I planted were 23 beans and 24 lettuce.

After delicately burying the little bundles of hope in their designated egg cups, I stuck the group on a plastic tray in the sunshine, but out of the most likely path of errant basketballs. After about an hour I noticed they were drying rather quickly so I added water and put some loose plastic wrap over them. I'm hoping this will give a hot-house effect more than a mold-house effect.

potting soil and newly planted seeds warming in the sun

Today (Monday) storms are expected, so I'll be bringing my tray indoors when the winds kick up. I look forward to having the sprouts show and the plastic being removed soon. One more reason to enjoy the sunny days to come.

It sure feels good to not have to wait until late May to get some seeds started.