Yesterday, a much anticipated package arrived. I think I was excited as Bear who ran around with his last unwrapped birthday present, waiting rather impatiently for his father to get home so he could open it. But I'm all grown up and it wasn't my birthday, so I didn't have to wait.
Don't you just love our beautiful, floral table cloth? OK, so it is actually an old bed sheet. We do have a nice table cloth, but it rarely survives a meal without needing to be washed, even with the nifty Care Bears place mats.
Twenty-two seed packets totaling about $54. And a nice plug for Henry Fields: This will be the first year we used them, but if their product is as nice as their customer service, we will definitely use them again next year.
At any rate, I found out we're part of a nationwide trend. That is exciting, because I have never been trendy before. Just look at our table cloth and place mats. My kids may love them, but I think Care Bears were the thing when I was about ten. Hardly cutting edge trendy in the new millennium.
It seems that seed companies have seen a spike in seed sales despite the recession. Or more likely because of the recession. Burpee saw a 30% sales increase last year and expects another 20% this year. In fact, seed shortages are being predicted as seed companies are being hit with high volume and are encouraging their customers to order early to ensure product availability. Unfortunately, early was back in January.
When research shows that $50 in seeds and fertilizer can yield over $1,000 in produce harvested from your own backyard, it is little wonder many others are turning to gardening. But here's where we aren't so trendy. The economy has nothing to do with our garden...the economy hasn't really affected us that much. Health, flavor and a nice family hobby are the driving forces behind our expanding garden, and the money saved is just a nice perk.
Now I have to finish deciding where to plant what so I can stick my cloches in the ground and start warming the soil for my first round of early planting. And if anything will make our garden un-trendy, it will be rows milk jugs and two liter bottles.
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By the way, if you would like a copy of my unit study Developing Christian Character Through Gardening, please let me know via my contact form. An overview may be found here.
Don't you just love our beautiful, floral table cloth? OK, so it is actually an old bed sheet. We do have a nice table cloth, but it rarely survives a meal without needing to be washed, even with the nifty Care Bears place mats.Twenty-two seed packets totaling about $54. And a nice plug for Henry Fields: This will be the first year we used them, but if their product is as nice as their customer service, we will definitely use them again next year.
At any rate, I found out we're part of a nationwide trend. That is exciting, because I have never been trendy before. Just look at our table cloth and place mats. My kids may love them, but I think Care Bears were the thing when I was about ten. Hardly cutting edge trendy in the new millennium.
It seems that seed companies have seen a spike in seed sales despite the recession. Or more likely because of the recession. Burpee saw a 30% sales increase last year and expects another 20% this year. In fact, seed shortages are being predicted as seed companies are being hit with high volume and are encouraging their customers to order early to ensure product availability. Unfortunately, early was back in January.
When research shows that $50 in seeds and fertilizer can yield over $1,000 in produce harvested from your own backyard, it is little wonder many others are turning to gardening. But here's where we aren't so trendy. The economy has nothing to do with our garden...the economy hasn't really affected us that much. Health, flavor and a nice family hobby are the driving forces behind our expanding garden, and the money saved is just a nice perk.
Now I have to finish deciding where to plant what so I can stick my cloches in the ground and start warming the soil for my first round of early planting. And if anything will make our garden un-trendy, it will be rows milk jugs and two liter bottles.
**********************
By the way, if you would like a copy of my unit study Developing Christian Character Through Gardening, please let me know via my contact form. An overview may be found here.
