Explore Outdoors ~ Spittlebug Season

 

The other morning I headed out to take photos of all the spiderwebs in the "tall grass" - a section of lawn we've let grow. It's not so much grass as it is a mix of wild flowers and plants that have grown up. Along with the numerous webs, I noticed lots of spitballs ...

 

Yep, it's that time of year again: spittlebug season! Spittlebugs are juvenile "froghoppers" that suck plant sap, spill it all over themselves, then blow air out their butts to create a froth of bubbles.

 

 This is what they look like if you wipe some of the spit off their faces. Cute little buggers, aren't they?

 

 I see them on so many different plants, but I've never taken the time to make a list of:

• what plants do I find them on?
• do they prefer mid-level living or top floor?
• are there any plants they won't choose?
• how many spittlebug friends share the plant?

 This week head out on a Spittlebug Search!

What do you DO with a 40-pound Cabbage?

 

The Cabbage Seed's Colossal Secret
by Karen M. Greenwald; illus. by Alejandra Ruiz 
40 pages; ages 4-8
Tilbury House Publishers, 2026

themes: garden, food, community

If someone gives you a tiny seed, you’ll want to plant it in a secret spot.

When a child plants a tiny seed, she wonders what secrets it will reveal. She waters it and nurtures it and the tiny plant grows and grows and grows until it is huge! What does a kid do with a 40-pound cabbage?

What I like about this book: If you’ve ever grown a cabbage, then you know just how large they can grow! I like how Karen Greenwald shows her character, Katie wondering, and watching, and then realize that she might have to do arm-strengthening exercises in order to harvest the cabbage! And then how she dreams of what she can possibly do with such a huge vegetable… and eventually how this one girl’s dream of feeding people turned into a charity that encourages people to grow food for hunger relief programs. 

 

Backmatter tells more about Katie’s Krops and has some practical guidelines for how kids can nurture goodness in their own gardens.

Beyond the Books:

How many things can you do with a cabbage? Sure, you can turn it into coleslaw and sauerkraut, but there must be other things? Buy a cabbage and experiment with recipes!

Plant a seed – something you like to eat. And then watch it grow. Document its growth by drawing pictures or taking photos and measuring it. If you only have a small space, look for veggies that can grow in containers.

Find out more about Katie’s Krops, and see if there are similar programs in your area. Our town has community raised bed gardens behind the food pantry, and when people don’t need everything they grow, they donate it to the pantry.

In a couple weeks, on June 24, Karen’s joining a bunch of us to chat about writing agriculturally-related books over at the GROG blog. She is also a member of the STEAM Team Books group. You can find out more about her at her books at her website www.karengreenwald.com You can find more about recently released STEM and STEAM books at www.steamteambooks.com

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Explore Outdoors ~ Seeds of Flight

 I find dandelion puffballs fascinating. The seed heads look like a constellation of stars. Then, as they are blown by the wind, it begins to look downright scraggly. What amazes me is how dainty the fiber parachutes look, and how sturdy the little seeds appear. 

 

 

 

If you've ever wondered how far a dandelion seed can travel, the best time to find out is when they go to seed. Pick a dandelion seed head (no one will yell at you for that!), mark a launch zone, and pull off a few seeds with their parachutes. Then hold them up as high as you can and let go. Follow one (or more) and put a marker down where they land. Then measure the distance. Sometimes they fly so far you have to count "giant steps"...

 

Check out the dandelion seeds in your yard...