We moved. Yes, after all that preparation and hard time, we moved. We moved to a lovely apartment with significantly more patio space but without a screen. Now settled into the new abode, I've started cultivating again. At the mo I have a cabbage, two broccoli stalks, and a broccoli cutting that I salvaged from dinner, soaked in water over night and replanted. Soaking the stalks was not something I've ever heard of but instinct told me it was the right move. It's actually growing! Add to that, several green bean buds, and some baby basil.
Despite the cold, my plants are doing very well. These are all varieties that do well in cold weather and they seem to be thriving so far. The only problem I've had is a crazed squirrel who has made a game of harassing me and my plants. After some exhaustive research (I read a page from a book) I learned the following:
1. Though adorable, squirrels are considered pests in the gardening world.
2. Squirrels are fond of digging.
3. They do not eat the seeds they dig up, they just like to dig.
4. A seedling can only handle being dug up about 3 times before it checks out completely.
Because we have no screen protecting our porch, the squirrel has easy access to my supple seedlings. I arrived home one afternoon and, after a quick potty break, went outside to check my plants. What I found was the evidence of an epic struggle. Green bean seeds and dirt were strewn all over the ground. I replanted them and luckily they have sprouted nicely. Squirrely had also chewed right through the string of twinkle lights I'd hung the day before. Over the next few days I was on a squirrel stakeout and my anal retentive justice vigil payed off because I caught him in the act. As I ran out, he scurried up the side of the building and onto my upstairs neighbor's balcony. I yelled after him, "I know what you did!" and he stopped to flip his bushy tail at me. A final "eff you, biotch" and a promise that he'd be back when I least expected him.
Looking online for solutions yielded some pretty unsavory results including the Squirrel Control Center with solutions like smoke bombs, traps, and ultrasonic devices. I've watched enough Bill Murray and Chevy Chase movies to know that walking this road would only lead to disaster. I decided to take the defensive rather than the offensive. I consulted some books for advice and found the plans for a chicken wire cloche in You Grow Girl by Gayla Trail. The instructions seem easy enough and, more importantly, I won't have to kill any squirrels to solve this problem because they're just too cute to shoot.
by tomatoe i mean tomato
ReplyDeleteThat online garden planner seems pretty awesome.
ReplyDelete