Mother Nature's Tool

Today, I finally got my kids motivated and they helped me in the garden. The rain has stopped and the sun is shining. We needed to ready the patch for all the strawberry plants we were gifted.

This led to an unexpected problem: not enough garden tools to go around. Bickering ensued with each kid wanting the best tool. We do have an ample supply of large clam shells scattered about from last year's beachcombing adventures. The huge clam shells frequently litter our beach. Seagulls find a clam, fly high with it, and drop it on the rocks to crack the shell. After eating the meat, they leave behind the shell. Usually one side is broken but the other is intact. These shells are plentiful after a storm. My daughter collects them to build her fairy houses and other crafts.

They also come in handy when in need of a garden tool.

Today we used shells to dig out weeds around the plants. It works like a little hand hoe. I found I had more control with it than a tool. It worked great for scraping off those weeds that act like a ground cover. And best of all I don't have to go spend more money at the garden center!