Here in Arizona, we can actually plant some things all year. At this point in the calendar, cool weather crops can go in the soil, if they are not already growing. Michi is a girl who’s front and center in my second kids’ karate picture book, “The Two True Karate Kids.” Today we get to find out what is on Michi’s garden list. We know that Michi lives in America, but from the books, we don’t know exactly what state or region. Do you think it’s possible that she could live in your state?

Lavender Lavender on Michi’s Garden List

Lavender is Michi’s favorite color in the entire world. Other shades of purple and violet are nice to her too, though they come in second on her list of favorite colors. So of course, she must have lavender plants with their beautiful and sweetly-scented lavender flowers in her garden. Another flower of her favorite color is cosmos. Since it’s tall, cosmos plants go toward the north side of the garden to bring some little splashes of color.

But the very north border of the garden is the space where Michi’s garden has a couple rows of peas. These are one of her favorite vegetables. And no other type of pea can beat fresh peas, popped right out of the pod, straight from the garden.

Michi likes to grow a variety of carrots. This includes your standard orange carrots and additionally purple, white and yellow ones too. She likes skinny baby carrots cooked whole (the leaves are edible, but have a strong carrot plant taste) and little, short, round Thumbelina carrots. Michi likes to mix them all up and experiment with pulling one up when the leaves look big enough, to discover what treasure hid underground.

Strawberries in Michi’s Garden

Michi also likes to have a nice variety of strawberries growing in her garden. She likes to leave them in the ground and hopes they come back from their roots each spring. Michi likes to go to the specialty nursery to pick out a variety of different strawberry plants for her garden. Or sometimes her dad helps her order them online. She has been able to grow large and small strawberries. Some are sweeter and some are more tart. And when she has several different types of plants, she can harvest strawberries for a longer span from spring to fall.

Shrub Sodas

Michi recently found out about something called a shrub. It doesn’t sound appetizing, but it is basically an easy, natural, healthy soda syrup which can be suited to any taste. A shrub is also called drinking vinegar. They can simply use honey, apple cider vinegar and fruit or herbs that are infused together, no cooking necessary. Strain and add some to sparkling water and you have your soda alternative. Michi plans to try making a lavender shrub when she has enough flowers and a strawberry shrub after a good berry harvest. Here’s a shrub recipe.

Michi has a lot in common with her best friend, Makoto. They met in karate class and got to know each other more at the dojo. Here are the things that Makoto would have in his garden.

-Jenifer Tull-Gauger