At last! the new laptop has arrived and I’m ready to be the “blogging queen” again here on The Little Half Acre that Could! So let’s get started —
In fact, let’s get started by going backwards. 20/20 hindsight is a lovely thing, but it would be even lovelier if it were 20/20 foresight. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to work that way here on our little homestead.
One of the first projects when we moved here last fall was to get a fenced, deer proof garden area installed. Done. We had ten beds with soil mounded up and wood chips between the growing spaces. We put seven foot tall deer netting around the entire garden area. It truly was a beautiful thing to behold . . . BUT. Apparently, most birds are not smart enough to fly out of an enclosed area once they’ve flown into said enclosed area. Picture the Happy Homesteader trying to chase random birds back up and over the netting while Thomas the cat races round and round the outside trying to get to the bird trapped on the inside. Yep, it was a good idea for all of half an hour. So, phase two —
The netting came down (at least the part that was pulled down by some rampaging green bean and field pea vines). The rest will come down, along with the posts, when the Happy Homesteader gets around to it. The Innocent Bystander (read, Hubbie) started building wooden frames around a few of the mounded beds as time and funds allowed. On each bed the I.B. attached some of those PVC pipe clips so the PVC can be easily inserted at three foot intervals. Then, depending on what type of critter I’m trying keep away from the edibles, I can add plastic, bird (and cat) netting or bug mesh quickly and easily as it’s needed. Deer, cats, rabbits, birds and other critters can be kept away from all those yummy veggies and I don’t have to walk all the way around the exterior to get in and out of the garden wherever I want.
In the photos above, the wooden frames need to be leveled but it’s a good start. Or should I say “second” start? It’s all good, we’re learning and evaluating and changing as we learn. We have surrounded three beds with wood and have seven more to go. I think a really determined critter could still get into the beds but nothing is totally foolproof and, meanwhile, I can protect my veggies from cold wind and temps, from crazy cats and birds and – hopefully – from a deer or two!
That’s it for now. It’s late in the day and time to relax with a good book. More projects are underway though so stay tuned ….
