My winter garden is done...

Everything in my garden started flowering and going to seed in the last few weeks, so clearly, it was time to rip it out.  Henry is always up for any gardening task, and he is especially interested in anything that involves chopping the heck out of plants with his new "chopping hoe" that he got from Grandma Gail and Grandpa Royce for Christmas.  So, I set him to work on ripping things out while I made dinner.  I had the window open in the kitchen, so I enjoyed watching him work...

Charlie wandered around the yard, and was very good about staying out of Henry's way (that chopping hoe has necessitated many discussions on physical restraint and the importance of belly button level chopping swings!)...

Henry refused to throw any of the plants he chopped into the trashcan I set out for him.  He insisted on putting them all on the grass in between the raised beds.  He was doing my work for me, so who was I to argue?

However, it wasn't long before our grass was COVERED in garden remnants.  I finally called out the window to Henry asking for an explanation, and, of course, our little thinker did indeed have one.  He told me that he was throwing the plants on the grass because he was playing "Palm Sunday" and he wanted to lay them down like palm branches so that Jesus could walk over them on his donkey.  Who was I to argue with THAT rationale?!  I let him continue, of course.  After he covered the grass he would grab palm branches (aka: winter garden remnants) and stand in the raised beds and wave them up and down and shout, "Hosanna!  Hosanna!  Hosanna!"  Then he just started shouting, "Palm Sunday, Palm Sunday, Palm Sunday!" It was probably the sweetest thing I have ever seen.

After the Palm Sunday play, he got back down to the business of chopping...

And Charlie continued his play at the water table...

 and sandbox...

Our raised beds have been the best addition to our backyard.  Seriously, who knew they'd foster biblical reenactments?!  Henry told me the other day that we had the best house ever.  I asked him why and he said it was because of our play gardens.  It made me feel good to hear that.  We certainly don't have a lot of space outside for the boys to play, but with a little bit of creativity we can really make what we do have special :)