Photo by Jessica Walliser |
Thanks to the fortress-like fencing now around the veggie garden and strawberry patch, we are managing to enjoy quite the harvest already.
In my post from two weeks ago, I mentioned my struggle to keep the hens out of the garden. The wing clip didn’t work so I had to top the wooden fence with a few feet of chicken wire and surround the strawberries with a four foot high box wire fence.
It doesn’t look all that graceful, but it’s working and that’s the only thing that counts sometimes—especially when it comes to animal fencing.
Memorial Day weekend was spent mostly outdoors, working and playing. The weather was perfect for a canoe ride, a trip to the pool and three mornings in the garden.
I have nearly finished mulching (for now anyway) and have been managing to make a dent in all the young weeds springing up here and there. The patio containers have been planted, annual seeds sown and the pond has been cleaned.
Time in the vegetable garden was especially nice this weekend. Beans, cukes and melons planted, and taters hilled. I also snapped off all my garlic scapes and plan to cook with them tonight (not sure how yet, I’ll have to browse the internet for a good recipe).
The cabbage worms seem to be worse this year than last. I have noticed many on my broccoli and cabbage and have been trying my best to pick them off when I find them. I ought to have the plants under row covers, but I never got around to it in April and now it’s too late for that. So handpicking it is.
I suspect that there are more cabbage worms around since the Jenny wrens and chickadees we had nesting in the birdhouses on the front corners of the garden haven’t returned this year. It was fun to watch them hop around the garden last year plucking bugs up as they went.
I would let the chickens back into the garden if they would just promise to only eat the bugs. Anyone know a good chicken trainer?
