Chicka Chicka Mama: 365: Plant a Flower Day

March 12 is Plant a Flower Day. We got down and dirty and Jude with the Cousin Crew went outside and planted a flower.

The whole process started by taking Jude and 3/4 of the cousins out to pick some flowers out. We are in Ohio, so we were pretty limited by the flowers that are out. We found some at White Oak Garden Center (support local!). It was just snowing a few days, so hopefully it doesn't snow again and kill our flowers.

We wandered around the greenhouse for a while. Jude seemed to like the colors and general vibe. Athena wanted a pink flower. The only pink one was a primrose, so she got one of those. Kelli also got primroses for her and Lincoln. The twins and Jude shared a pack of pansies. Jude has been drawn to yellow lately, so we picked up mix that had yellow.

We painted the flower pots before planting. I had a good intentioned but not well thought out idea to use paint between plastic wrap and the pot so there was no mess. Plastic wrap is pretty thin. Jude didn't rip it, but I did when I was hitting a blank spot. I think with a large plastic bag it would probably work better. Jude enjoyed the texture and watching the color move, so we will chalk it up as a success.

Jude loved getting messy. I kept a close eye on him to limit the amount of dirt he consumed. He didn't really try to put much in his mouth. He liked throwing the dirt. It was nice to get him to interact with the natural world a little bit. He was a tiny babe when it was warm before, so this is the first time he really has gotten to play around outside with some mobility and dexterity.

Jude did pop the top off of a flower when I was checking on Kelli (she was bleeding). He did it so nonchalantly and laughed after. We had extra plants, so it worked out. We will have to work on being gentle with flowers. Jude is not the most gentle kid.

The twins and Athena enjoyed planting the flowers as well. Sean thought that you had to plant the bloom of the flower, so he spent quite some time trying to cover that. Athena was able to pack dirt in like a professional and even reminded me that I had to water my flowers. I guess all that time in Gramma's backyard has given her a little bit of a green thumb.