We did a lot of experiments and exploring in the garden this season.  In the summers I get to do Digging with Denise weekly and explore the earth with the children.  With the warmer weather and an extended growing season last year, we were able to observe changes in some of our plants that were new.  Our garlic planted in October of 2016 grew throughout the fall, winter and spring and was harvested in this summer.  Our fabulous curly top plants produced pungent, sweet smelling garlic that the young ones bravely chomped!  Our blueberry bushes did not produce berries this year.  A resident squirrel ate the strawberries from our lovely hanging pots.  We created our own trellises out of branches and twine to grow peas in the spring.   We built a shade teepee from bricks, bamboo and twine then added green beans and ivy to begin a covering for our creation.  At the end of last week we pulled beautiful orange carrots that had fluffy green tops that are soft and easy for little hands to pull.  Our Toddlers picked a bounty of large green beans and began tasting their bumpy treats immediately.   We added plastic bottles to our large planters before adding soil to make them easy for the children to move around, then we  sprouted potato parts from last year's crop which are currently turning into red potatoes and Yukon gold potatoes.  There is tiny lettuce growing in the cups on the fence and we are waiting for any of the little pumpkins to grow larger.  We also added a bug house for the roly polys (and other insects) to stay in.  I think that is the children's favorite addition this year.  Our garden sign was painted by the PreK and shares what we do in the dirt.  We added some coneflowers to watch the color change as fall approaches, and eventually to see how some plants can be dried for smell or decoration.   I love watching the children explore and track the progress of our plants and enjoy experiencing the seasons with them outdoors!