One of the local parks is a farm park with animals, educational exhibits, and even an old tractor for kids to play on. Why do kids like tractors? Even those children who live in town near the park seem to enjoy climbing on, grabbing the steering wheel and making tractor noises.

Perhaps the older, smaller tractors seem more kid-friendly. Newer four-wheel-drive tractors that have many steps up to the cab may seem a little daunting to little people. If you want to have some fun, let kids explore tractors. Perhaps you have some in the back or have neighbors who won’t mind letting kids explore their equipment. Some other ways are at farm auctions or at farm parks.

My father was a steam engine fan, and we could not drive past a steam engine without stopping to look it over. I learned the names of the steam engine and theshing machine manufacturers at a young age. And yes, I was allowed to climb around on them. Addmittedly, a steam engine is not small, and certainly when they were fired up I was less brave about climing on them. But my early introduction to old farm equipment led to a lifelong love of rural life, old tractors and history.

While my grandkids live in town, I am doing all that I can to pass along the rural lifestyle and particularly the historical aspects. We have been to fairs and looked at the tractor shows (and all of the other neat stuff), and I have thoughts of taking them to Pioneer Village in Minden, Nebraska (Pioneervillage.org), at a later date. While not all exhibits and shows will allow kids to climb on and grab the wheel, there are still lessons to be learned from the ground.

I was encouraged when the one grandson wanted a toy combine for his birthday. Admittedly, some of his knowledge of combines comes from a "Cars" movie. But I bought him the combine and later a CD on combine manufacturing that he saw on display at the farm store. We all learned a lot about combines from that CD!

If you don’t know much about older tractors, antique tractor shows can be a great history lesson for the entire family. The owners and collectors are usually more than happy to tell you all about their tractor, how it fits in the historical development of tractors, how much power it has, and how it operates. An interesting point that I have found is that many of the large, older tractors have no more horsepower than a modern garden tractor.

Tractor weight and design gave the old tractors the pulling power necessary for farm work, while the little garden tractor is fuel efficient and simply pulls itself and turns the mower blades using the same horsepower. Can you imagine plowing a field with no more horsepower than a garden tractor has?

Everyone can’t live on the farm, but we can all help pass along our rural heritage. As the weather warms up, get those kids out to see some tractors!

While the pastures are still brown, I look for cacti that I can transplant to my rock garden. While cacti grow wild here, it is only semi-arid, so pasture grass grows also, and somehow every few years there are cacti that appear in the grass. I usually take some small stakes that I can mark the location of the evergreen cacti among the winter dry grass. When it is warm enough to transplant, I return with a bucket, spade and heavy gloves. The cacti do not root deeply, but of course must be handled with care.

I try to locate the transplants in areas where I have rock and landscape cloth. Ever try to weed a cacti patch? I have a neighbor who likes to use native plants in her landscaping as well. She has transplanted various “weeds” that grow along the adjacent irrigation ditch to her flowerbeds.

Some things to keep in mind when looking for “wild” flowers to transplant; It is illegal to dig up plants and trees from public land. Likewise be sure private property owners agree to let you dig up plants. Most people don’t mind getting rid of cacti but it is good policy to ask. Transplant wild plants in the spring or fall. If you can’t get it done in the spring, don’t do it in the summer. Just like nursery stock, plants struggle greatly in the summer heat and dryness. Also many plants are in the midst of flowering or seeding and the resources that could go into growing new roots are not available. Study what you are transplanting. Is it a perennial or an annual? Is it attractive most of the year? Does it need any special care?

If you admire water lilies, for example, know what you are getting into.  They grow in water over a foot deep. You may need waders or even a small boat to get them. Once you have them you need to provide a similar habitat for them to grow. Water lilies present another challenge. While they are perennials, they need some special care for wintering over. This is a challenge for me, so I buy from the nursery every few years!

Another tempting transplant is wild asparagus. If you like asparagus, you may know that spring is the time to cut off the new shoots for a tasty spring dish. Since the shoots are forced to regrow repeatedly, this may not be an ideal time to transplant. I have to say that this challenge has also eluded me and I am planning on buying some from the nursery.

I notice some nurseries now sell “Dog Fennel” which was always considered a weed in my youth. If you don’t feel like searching out wild plants, nurseries are offering more and more options it appears. Whether you buy from a nursery or take a long walk with a shovel and bucket, wild species can add another dimension to your garden or landscape. If the plant grows wild in your area, it should do well when transplanted to your lawn or garden.

Think ahead where you want to place it and prepare a spot. Again, if you look at the plant and where it is thriving in the wild, you have a good idea of where it likes to grow and how big it gets. In the case of cacti and asparagus, they seem to do well in poor sandy soil…no preparation required in most cases, just planning. The water lilies are at the other end of the scale and a small pond will be required to keep them going. Woodland plants may require a shady area and lots of peat or other soil enrichments to survive transplanting.

While it takes some effort to transplant wild plants, it gives a look, or taste, of nature to your own little corner of the world and a sense of satisfaction that you can create the environment that they thrive in.