This has been an exceptionally difficult spring for gardening, with every critter known to man descending upon our little patch in search of nourishment. Last year we put up a garden fence for the first time in 15 years, and the attacks on every vegetable have been so fierce that I have resorted to putting double fences around some of the raised beds. My main broccoli crop has been decimated two times, and even now it is barely starting to show signs that we might get a crop.
I had commented about this on the Portage Local Food Project page on Facebook and a friend suggested that the animals are probably thirsty, and are seeking greens for their moisture content. This may be so, but I wish a few would take a dive in my garden pond and leave my veggies alone! This week we had a skunk visit us in broad daylight, and the squirrels are attacking in squadrons. If we didn’t eat low on the food chain black squirrel might just show up on the menu at our house…and I might suggest it for one of the many fine eating establishments that seem to be flocking to our town.
Oh well, no one ever promised us a rose garden….or even that we would get to eat what we plant. I’m holding out for a good looking crop of peas and beans, and our lettuce has done pretty well protected by spun bound polyester row cover. But if anyone knows of a good defensive strategy against ground hogs, skunks and squirrels, I am all ears. Or, should I say, all tails, since I’ve seen a whole lot of them every time I walk into the garden.