Our garden

Spring has finally arrived in our corner of the world and we have started the garden. My lovely husband amended the soil with compost and mushroom manure, I scrubbed and refilled pots and then the boys and I set about planning this year's crops.

A trip to the nursery later and we were set with a mix of seeds and plants. The boys selected their vegetable and flower options (marigolds for Bunny, cosmos for Boomer) and we set about getting things going. Of course, the boys didn't last quite as long as me, but they were earnest and helpful.

So, between what was left from last year and what we added, here's what we're growing so far this year:

• beets
• blueberries
• bush beans
• carrots, dragon and mignon
• herbs (3 kinds of basil, chives, cilantro, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, 2 kinds of sage, and 2 kinds of thyme)
• kale
• mixed mesclun greens
• radishes
• rainbow chard
• sorrel
• spinach
• strawberries
• sugar snap peas
• sweet peas
• tomatoes, 7 heirloom varieties, and
• zucchini

I love the garden. I love the rewarding feeling you get when the harvest begins. I love taking pictures of the beautiful bowls of vegetables I bring in from the yard - yellow, green, purple and red tomatoes glistening alongside purple and orange carrots, ruffled spring greens and Easter egg-coloured radishes. I love knowing there are no pesticides on my vegetables even if it means picking the occasional bug off my plate. And I love what my garden teaches me, like how to be more productive with less, and how to let go of things that aren't working.

The boys are loving the garden, too, more and more every year. They love sowing the seeds and waiting for the first sprouts to show. They love watering, especially when the big fat earthworms ooze out of the soil to roll in the water. They love running out to the garden and bringing food back for the table. They love sneaking cherry tomatoes, warm from the sun (so does the dog). And they love repeating back for their dad or grandparents the things they are learning about plants and nutrition. They are learning other things too, like how to be responsible and how to be patient.

Gardens are amazing, aren't they? You plant a few seeds and, with a little work, you can harvest for years.

Kids' stuff

Got kids that like to build? Like to recycle? That's our house - and I just found what might be the next best addition to our toy box: makedo. Makedo is a set of connectors that lets you join together cardboard, paper, plastic, fabric, what have you, to make larger, movable structures. Kids get to imagine something and build it - limited only by their imaginations and the packing material, egg cartons, cereal boxes and fraying pillow cases on hand!

The system includes connectors and hinges, as well as a construction tool that lets them safely punch holes and make cuts in boxes and other paper materials. The great thing about makedo is, rather than knocking together playhouses, puppet theatres, and robots with cardboard boxes, tape and glue, now we can take them apart and reuse the components to make space ships, pirate lairs and laser blasters. REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE!

It's designed for use by children 5 and up and isn't safe for the under-3 set due to the small parts.

The sets come as kits for one (69 pieces) for $25, and kits for three (170) for $50. You also get reduced prices for ordering multiple kits. Right now, shipping is free but makedo is distributed from Australia, so there may be shipping delays and additional customs or tax charges upon delivery.

Take a look at the inspirational makedo creations of others here.