The Adventures of Periwinkle and Stinky

 

Periwinkle was enjoying a sun puddle when she saw the Teleportation Tunnel shake and, with a WOOSH, out popped her handsome fiance, Stinky.  They spent time catching up on the previous week, whisker kissing and paw patting. Stinky remarked that it was a beautiful and warm day at Periwinkle's house.  Periwinkle said,  "I'm glad you mentioned that because our Adventure today is based on the nice weather."

Stinky looked at her quizzically but understood when she handed him a gardening hat.  "We're going to help Mom plant our garden," she said.

Stinky was impurressed with the amount of seeds Periwinkle's Mom bought.  They both agreed she would NEVER get things done without their help.

Even Reesie helped...

Moving outside, Periwinkle began to explain the best way to grow a great garden.  "Planning a vegetable garden is like making a home for plants to grow big and strong! Here’s how you can do it step by step.  First, you should pick a sunny spot  Plants love sunlight! Find a place in your yard that gets lots of sun, at least 6 hours a day. If you’re unsure how much sun you have, watch your yard throughout the day for a few days to find the ideal location." 

Stinky added the importance of figuring out how you will water.  Periwinkle told him her Mom has a rain barrel and that's how she waters her veggies and herbs.  She also told him that they would be doing containers and raised beds.  

Stinky ran off and, of course, she expected him to be climbing on something.  She was pleasantly surprised to see that he was checking out the garden soil.  Stinky said, "Plants need good, soft soil to grow. We should remove any weeds or rocks, and mix in compost or healthy dirt to help the plants grow strong."

Periwinkle showed him some examples of raised beds.  They would be planting in ones like these...

Stinky checked out the raised bed to make sure it was properly filled...

Periwinkle inspected the other bed that already had chives and oregano growing...

Her Mom also just bought this cool planter and they would be planting some things her Mom purchased at the garden center.

Both tabbies agreed it was a good idea to plant some flowers along with the veggies and herbs to keep pests away.  Periwinkle showed Stinky what they already had and said,  "Many vegetables, such as cucumbers and squash, require insect pollination to form fruit. Planting flowers brings in the pollinators and beneficial bugs to take care of some of the bad bugs that want to chow down on your veggies."  

"Speaking of chowing down, my Mom also bought some citronella plants to keep away the mosquitos since they seem to enjoy chowing down on HER."  

"Wow, this tomato plant looks great," exclaimed Stinky.  Periwinkle said her Mom bought it from a "big box" store and that she still has one from last year.  Stinky was super excited about big boxes until Periwinkle said it's just a term to describe a store.  "Bummer, I was hoping for a nap in a big box," he said.

"You know, all that talk about chowing down made me hungry, why don't we go inside and enjoy a snack," said Periwinkle.  Stinky agreed and the two went in to enjoy the snack Periwinkle's Mom put out for them.

After their snack, they spent some time whisker kissing and paw patting.  Stinky visited with Periwinkle's fursibs and thanked her Mom for the snack.  Her Mom thanked him for helping with the garden.  Both tabbies promised to help in the garden again when the seedlings sprouted.

Finally, with a whisker kiss and a WOOSH, Stinky stepped into the Teleportation Tunnel and headed home.  Periwinkle returned to the garden and dreamed about harvesting the crops with her handsome fiance!