Submitted by Joan Regan
Over the years, I have tried to grow some veggies from seeds with little or no luck. Having to start everything outside (no room in the house) it makes for a very short growing season up here in zone 4-5, but determined to grow my own I purchased some beautiful healthy plants from Peninsula Out of Doors. Ha, thinking this might just work. Pete had built me a substantial raised garden complete with good soil from P O D and a sturdy fence around it with a good old tough guy gate. The garden was 12ft x 14ft. There were also taller tables built around three sides and lots of room for pots as well.
Everything seemed to take off – it was thriving, as were the two herb tables he also built. The lettuce was ready, and was it ever good. The pepper plants in the pots on the tables were ripening, as well as the tiny tomatoes and I was thrilled.
Fast forward to a perfect summer morning… skipping down (well maybe not skipping) I turned the water on and went to check on the veggies. EVERY single plant had been chewed on. Tomatoes gone. Peppers gone. Everything was either gone or useless because of being chewed on. All my/our hard work gone in one night. Was it a herd of squirrels? Or maybe Bambi? It didn’t matter. Everything went into the compost bin.
Fast forward to the next year… someone said “plant marigolds between the rows. NOT. Most were just laying in the dirt where the darlings left them and as soon as things started to even think about ripening they were a midnight snack. The pots that were salvageable were put in the small green house that Pete made me and I swore I would never do this to myself again.
But I did. My Covid brain kicked in last year but I potted everything, but then they all got too big to go in the greenhouse. The peppers stayed in and the tiny tomatoes, but those big juicy yummy ones fed the damn squirrels yet again.
So this year, a few peppers and some tiny tomatoes in the greenhouse and maybe Ma Nature will surprise me again with more Mullein and a couple more pretty big sunflowers in the garden out back. Hoping so. If not, I will turn that nice big garden into a Hosta nursery. Heaven knows I will fill it in no time.
Happy Garden Dreaming,
Joni
jpregan@amtelecom.net
