anatomy of a garden
over the past 15 years, i have kept a little garden next to our garage. tomatoes - big boys are my favorite type - a smattering of herbs and heaps and bundles of basil. and i mean a LOT of basil.
sometimes i come out to the garden and just smell things.......a whiff of sage and i'm back in greece.
but in the past 5 years, i've slowly lost a battle.
with squirrels.
over the past 3 summers, they've completely stripped my tomato crop. i've tried everything - asking them nicely, pleading with them. laying down strips of duct tape (to which baby possums and birds would get stuck on, not squirrels) spraying the plants with a noxious mixture of rotten egg, capiscum and detergent, bird netting---nothing worked. whenever i would come out to check on my plants, they would leave me a calling card of rodent horror: a green tomato, balanced ever so elegantly on the fence ledge. with one bite taken out of it.
it gets hot here in july and they are thirsty, so my garden plot has become their water fountain.
but no longer, my friends - for i have a secret weapon in this newest of rodent wars:
one day i was wandering around home depot and ran into a carpenter friend and told him of my woes. within a matter of minutes he sketched out a plan, pointed out supplies and the tomato cage was born.
step one: assemble plywood and chicken wire in garage
step two: move out into driveway to assemble panels
step two: move out into driveway to assemble panels
step three: build brick foundation 3 layers deep (to keep squirrels from burrowing under) and place structure on top
step four: plant arugula and buttercrunch lettuce from seed and the rest: japanese eggplant, red peppers, tomatoes and loads of herbs, from seedlings........
step five: deal with neighbor who is accusing me of property creep.
step six: check plat plan and realize, because of the new tomato cage, this season my arugula was accidentally planted a few centimeters over on his land
step seven: now that the squirrels are not a problem but my neighbor potentially is ---
extend a peace offering in the form of my first tomatoes of the season along with a bushel of basil.
hey - beats an olive branch in my opinion!
anyway, green thumbs and fingers alike are crossed -- will let you know how this works ;-)
anyway, green thumbs and fingers alike are crossed -- will let you know how this works ;-)
xo♡a
p.s..... as my dad has always told me: squirrels are just rats with good p.r. ;-)
p.s..... as my dad has always told me: squirrels are just rats with good p.r. ;-)
