Here's hoping...

My parcel arrived from Vesey's!!!

I've decided to have a kitchen herb garden! What better spring-anticipatory activity can there be for small children than to plant something?? (Yes, I know that the beans we planted in damp tissue last fall all went moldy and urpy except the one. But we live in hope in these parts. My optimism keeps me sane, you know.)

First you put in a base of vermiculite for drainage...

It takes concentration...

Then you put in the soil. We didn't take pictures of that because it's just the same as the vermiculite. (Only black.) (Here's hoping there's enough soil to do the trick.)

Then you poke holes for the seeds. Lots and lots and lots of holes. So many holes that you can hardly see where they are, because there's really no place that they aren't...

More poking. Poking is FUN. Everyone wants to poke.
(Here's hoping the soil isn't so compacted the poor things can't put down roots.)

Then, after the seeds are in -- Oh, I did that part, because some of those herb seeds? They're TEEEEENY! I've never seen seeds so small. In fact, I don't think I really did see the mint seeds. I just sprinkled wee gray smudges in the general direction of the soil, and we all agreed that I had in fact planted seeds. Planting mint seeds is The Emperor's New Clothes of gardening. (Here's hoping those things really were seeds, and not just some seed-processor's sock lint.)

So. After the seeds are in, you pat the soil down. And pat it, and pat it.

And pat it some more. Patting is almost as much fun as poking.

When they're all soundly patted (here's hoping they haven't all been beaten to death), you water them. (This is the infamous "pretend" picture, Jennifer.)

(For the rest of you: "Pretend" because every time I tried to snap Joshua truly watering the plants (here's hoping they haven't been drowned) he'd lift his elbow up so his arm covered his face. So this one is a total and complete fake pose. "Just PRETEND you're pouring water, sweetie.")
Pretty convincing, isn't it? Sure looks like he's concentrating on pouring water. Really, he's just confounded by the reams of instructions: "Lower your arm. Tip the cup. Lift your chin. Look at the pot. DON'T MOVE." (Doesn't he look natural???)

Ta-dah!!! Our herb garden!

Here's hoping for herbs!