Willa White's Blog

Have I mentioned we have a vegetable garden?  We have a small plot in the Lily Dale community garden area so we can grow food for our family.  It is our space to nurture plants and experience the joy of reaping what we sow.  I agree with Gertrude Jekyll (a British horticulturist, garden designer, artist and writer): "A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust." Tilling, planting, watering, nurturing, and weeding all take time and effort.  Waiting for the plants to grow over the course of two or three months takes patience and time.  While I do this, the children play and dig in the dirt too.  My older son enjoys noticing the seedlings emerge from the soil, the white of the cauliflower peeking out among the leaves, the sweet pepper growing bigger on the plant, and the tender lettuce growing.  He is eagerly awaiting beets, green beans, and tomatoes.  Harv

The month of June always goes by so fast for me.  June is jam packed with the normal work and family commitments, but it also has the added pressure of getting outdoor projects completed before the start of the summer Season here at Lily Dale. This year, we have to paint the house exterior and the porch floor.  While my husband scrapes, caulks, primes and paints, I am his gopher while watching over our 2 children.  Fun times ;)  Chasing after a very mobile 1 year old AND various project supplies that are in the opposite direction is not easy.  Thankfully, my 5 year old helps from time to time. Also, this year is the Woodchip Project at the Lily Dale Children's Acre.   In our effort to maintain the safety of the play areas, the Lily Dale Children's Committee (of which, I am the chairperson) entered into a labor intensive undertaking of moving a BIG mountain of playground woodchips.  Thankfully, we had the help of some community volunteers, a small group of student volunt