No aphids among the roses

Barley's class went on a field trip this week to the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden. It was a nice day. They dissected roses, learned about male and female parts (I had no idea a rose lecture could be so risque!), and went looking for bugs. We found ladybugs, mites, spiders, but NO aphids.

Barley was delighted that I could show him aphids at home on our rose bushes. We spent 15 minutes hunting (and scraping off) aphids, and unexpectedly discovered a safe outlet for his aggression. He can kill aphids on my roses all day long if he wants to! We watered the blueberry bushes, and I bemoaned the shade from the big tree in our front yard. These bushes are not getting nearly as much sun as I had hoped.

There is a big hill at the Heritage Rose Garden, and we ate lunch atop it, enjoying the sun. Then all the kids rolled down it. We cautioned them not to roll over each other, and to stop before they hit the concrete at the bottom. Then we let them loose--wheeeeeee!