In raising small dictators children, I have learned to always sandwich a piece of bad news with two pieces of good news. So here we go. We've had our first harvests of green beans and
potatoes, and are waiting not so patiently on the numerous green
tomatoes to turn red. And I'm feeling up the 'putatively pregnant' corn stalks to see if they are really forming cobs... Fun stuff, just not much for pictures.
Now on to the real point of this post. Proudly presenting 'War and Peace, Gardening Edition'.
Meet Brownie, fierce destroyer of all unprotected potato fields, blueberries and raspberries.
Do not be fooled by the cuteness of the enemy. It is a ploy to get to your lettuce and chards. Small enough to squeeze through the fence, still... not much longer, friend! That's the only reason I'll let you get away with highway robbery for now.
The wilt, rust and mildew conspire daily. Always a step ahead, it seems.
The blossom end rot continues to be a pain, despite calcium supplements in various forms.
Enemy of the State #1.
The battlefield after the squash beetles came through.
We're fighting a war on suckers. We feel OK about officially declaring this one a war because it's the only one we're winning.
Squash bugs. Not even their babies are cute. What does that say about a species???
Oh wait, this is one of the good guys. Thanks for your hard work, Ma'am.
It's thanks to you that I can declare a victory on the berry front. First year of significant blueberry and raspberry harvesting. And the new everbearing strawberries are living up to their name!
Some years certain plants seem to thrive...so you plant more of them the next year..only to have them succumb to bugs or worms or to much weather the next year. What ever you planted next to them is doing really well though. Unfortunately you cut back on them to make more room for last years success so there's only enough to feed 1/2 your family...
ReplyDeleteIsn't that the truth! LOL
DeleteHi Kath,
ReplyDeleteI'm visiting from the garden party. I feel your pain! The bunnies are so adorable, but can do quite a bit of damage. In the spring I had to cage my tulips as they were 'snacking' on them. The Japanese beetles seem to be everywhere this year.
Found the baby one eating the bottom of my pole bean pyramid, thus of course killing the vines that reach all the way to the top. I'm angry! I put chicken wire around the bottom of the remaining vines and sprayed Deer OFF (which is a few years old, we'll see if it still works). This is in a fenced in garden that the adult bunnies can't get into, so they send their innocent babies... Geez. No morals.
DeleteHi Kath. I made my way over here from Amanda's weekly garden post to see what you were doing about your rabbit problem. We tried the chicken wire one year. The rabbit got in and couldn't get out. I felt so sorry for it that I let it go. (cute bunny moment of weakness).
ReplyDeleteOh hi! At this point, I'd very seriously consider eating the rabbit. My pole beans are probably 50% dead vines and I am mad! (Though I do understand your reaction, too!). Thanks for the visit!
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