How Does Your Garden Grow?

Is it considered child labor if I turn the garden watering over to my toddler?

Because lately she's been asking to "Go 'side, Mama. Water plants." (Go outside mama, water plants). And hey, that sounds like motivation to work to me. Since motivation is a word in my vocabulary that has been swallowed up by pregnancy, I'd say "go for it" except the watering can is as big as she is.

I made a couple of mistakes in planting a garden this year:
1. I failed to realize we don't own a hose.
2. I failed to realize our outdoor water source is on the FRONT of the house. The garden is in the BACK of the house. It means I have to lug a watering can outside multiple times to water things.
3. I bought drought-resistant plants. Normally a fine thing in the high desert country of The Frontier. Except June has been anything but dry. I've lost a few plants to overwatering thanks to Mother Nature (though it has reduced the number of days I've had to lug the watering can out repeatedly.
4. I underestimated the ease of growing basil. So far I'm 0 for 2 on basil plants.
5. I have magic mint ... one day it looks fabulous. The next, well, it looks rather sickly. Even Woodstock noticed and called my dear plant "icky" on one of its less-than-healthy days.
6. Fourth of July tomatoes, even when planted at the appropraite time apparently don't ripen by the Fourth of July when the sun has only shown for one of the last five weeks. The plant has lots of tomatoes, but they are just as green as the regular tomatoes.

I think I'd best leave the gardening project to next summer, when I can actually see my feet, can kneel and/or bend over and when the weather is back to normal. In the meatime, I have six thriving (if not ripening) tomato plants. We may be eating fried green tomatoes and cilantro this summer, but we'll at least be eating something homegrown.