planting a rainbow {literature & science learning!}

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I love to garden.  I am bad at it, but it is one of my favorite past times in the spring.  {I don’t like to weed — especially if I’m pregnant — then my gardens get out of control!}  But this year, I have actually kept my garden under control.  John, my little gardening helper, was such a sweet weeder and planter.  {You can check out some of my flowers here.}

Every fall, I like to plant even more bulbs.  The spring is my favorite season {yes, I know I probably just said fall is my favorite — they all bring different beauty!!}  Seeing my bulbs sprout from the ground gives me such great joy!

I showed my little 2 1/2 year old the bulbs last spring, but I think next year, he will comprehend it even more!  So we went to the gardening store and picked out tulip and crocus bulbs — I know I have planted at least 1000 bulbs, but I want more — and the moles are trying to eat them, but that is another story. {I already have about 200+ daffodils, at least 200+ hyacinth and grape hyacinths and blue bells so we didn’t go overboard this year :) }

I am very particular when it comes time to pick my bulbs.  I like certain color schemes in my garden — mostly purple, yellow, and pink.  For tulips, I love the double-lipped ones.  They look like roses or peonies!  Gorgeous.

I let John pick out his very own, and he picked some beautiful orange fringy tulips, which will be lovely.  He was so excited to plant them and have his very own!  The next morning he asked if they grew yet?!  “No, sweet love, we have to wait until next year!”  {An eternity.}

But Lois Elhert’s Planting a Rainbow has really helped him understand how plants work!  Her illustrations are simple and yet show a bulb’s root system.  Perfect for a tot school science lesson :)

Planting little crocus bulbs.  This made us think of The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown.

I will become a crocus in a hidden garden!”

He was a great “digger!”

Placing his little label next to his planted orange tulips.  He can’t wait to see them grown next year!

I had to explain to him that the tulip bulbs had to point “up” so the roots could go down.  The book helped explain this too.  {He wanted to just throw them in, which is admittedly more fun.}

We loved reading the book before and after our planting times.  {We planted on three different occasions — it’s tough to get any gardening done with a one year old and three year old!}

The pages show a young learner how deep to plant the bulbs!  Many different kinds and colors.

And it shows the process of them growing!  Plants need soil, water, and the sun!  Perfect lesson for little ones.

Happy planting and growing,

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