As much as I would like to spend every waking hour in the studio it's just not possible. Believe it or not I've other loves besides quilting. If you told me when I was in my twenties I'd love vegetable gardening someday I would have laughed in your face. Back then my gardens were limited to flower gardens with a few tomato and pepper plants worked into the landscaping. These days I'm starting to feel like a low end prepper. You know those crazy people you see on TV that think the world is coming to and end. Trust me...I'm not one of them, I just like gardening!
Many of my friends think that gardening is just plain nuts when you can buy fresh organic produce at new fancy expensive markets. Well all I can say is... it taste's better when I grow it, and I know there's absolutely no chemicals in my organic garden. No chemical bug spray, I'll make an organic mixture and I've planted Marigolds, bugs hate the smell of them. If it were left up to me we would have cut down the trees to make the fences instead of chemically treated wood. But sadly some things are out of my control. As you can see below we use grass clippings from our yard and our neighbors down the road to mulch between the row. This is great, it keeps in moisture, feeds the soil and best of all cuts down on weeding so I can get in the studio someday soon. You might also notice my plant markers are lids from store bought food containers. Yes we are big on up-cycling, recycling and reusing.
Every year for the past 6 yrs or so our garden is expanded. This year I asked Mr. Podunk to enlarge our main fenced in garden. That gives me another 3 rows of planting space. The red space shows our expansion this year.
Not every one likes or needs a fenced garden but its a must in Podunk. The deer will destroy the garden without fencing. Not to mention what the chickens would do...very destructive little girls. Life is a little harder in the country. Just look at poor little Red(chicken). She took a good beating from the neighbors dog a few weeks ago.
And the oh so cute bunnies will taste everything in a garden until they find something that's edible. BAD BUNNIES!
Our original fence wasn't bunny proof so we've added chicken wire to the existing fence and gate.
The focus for the last couple of weeks has been building my own potato towers. It's not pretty but the wood was free, all I had to do was walk into the woods and cut it down. This is my first year growing plain ole potatoes so we'll see how it goes. They're sprouting so I think we may have some fresh potatoes this fall.
Even our raised beds need to be protected from the critters. That fencing below does nothing to keep out the moles that seem to think this is their new palace in Podunk. Being an organic gardener is a test of patience. So we've decided to try an old fashion remedy of Castor oil and dish soap...we'll see how it works.
I've also had to treat the sweet potato bed I made a couple weeks ago. We won't be planting in there for a few more weeks so I'm trying to prevent a new mole condo complex from popping up.
The castor oil mixture seems to be doing a pretty good job over in the spinach and onion beds.
Today's agenda is pepper pants. I've not even started clearing this bed of weeds and moles so it's gonna take a few days. Hopefully I can weed and evict the moles today. Then plant once the moles have pack their bags. Sounds like I might be able to fit some quilting into my afternoon and evening!
~ Lea Anne ~
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Why buy expensive organic retail when you can grow your own?
ReplyDeleteI too fight with the critters though - deer have decimated my outdoor garden year after year so we are finally finishing up a greenhouse.
Did you bury the chicken wire a couple of feet in the ground too - won't the bunnies dig under it?
I'd love a green house. We have a bunch of old windows that were supposed to build me one...but my honey hasn't done it yet. So far the bunnies havent dug under the fence...crossing my fingers.
DeleteIf you put down the chicken wire on the bottom of your raised beds the moles and mice can´t get through.
ReplyDeleteWe didn't do that, we weren't thinking when we made the raised beds. The new potato towers have wire in the bottoms and side about 12 inches up.
DeleteI put gravel at the bottom of the holes of the plants the moles and voles love. They don't like gravel either. I was looking out at a hosta plant one day, only to see it be pulled down into the hole by a vole. They do like to take up residence where they are not wanted! Good luck with your eviction notices. :)
ReplyDeleteI have been slowly trying to plant a garden. I have my roses, which the bunnies destroyed some of them last year and I had to replace them this year. I've thought of putting chicken wire around my roses, but it is so ugly, I would like a prettier alternative. I also planted marigolds in the beds, lemon grass beside one of them, and catnip beside another. The moles are terrible in my yard. How does the castor oil and dish soap work? My husband has elderberry bushes and I want to plant watermelon.
ReplyDeleteit's been so wet here we haven't planted yet. Hubby likes to turn it over a few times to cut down on grass but so far nothing.
ReplyDeleteyour garden looks wonderful - we are still fighting critters as well
ReplyDeleteMoles are crazy busy at my house. Any additional suggestions would be appreciated. Sounds like everyone is dealing with them.
ReplyDeleteYou have been busy, I'm pleased we don't have moles in New Zealand!
ReplyDeleteyou are certainly going to have plenty to eat when all this grows, I am afraid I do not grow my veg just have some mint in a tub! Interesting reading about how you are moving the moles on, they are a problem here to though have not had any in my garden but see mole hills all over the place.Poor red that must have been frightening for him being attacked by a dog good to see he is recovering well had no idea dogs went foe chickens, fortunately when we had both when a child it did not happen it was the foxes that were a problem,in the end we stuck to ducks as they just went into the ponds when foxes were about
ReplyDeleteYou must can or freeze a lot, DH and I enjoy fresh from the garden-I did too much helping my mom as a youngster with canning and I don't enjoy it so I don't do it, LOL. However I still do cucs, peppers, tomatoe. Fresh is good!
ReplyDeleteSo the castor oil and dishsoap is supposed to get rid of the moles?
I have tried growing tomatoes and the vines are just beautiful but I can't even get one tomato. So I stick to flowers and they do beautifully here. We have moles too and they just destroy our yard, I don't remember any when we were children. Everyone fights moles now. How did they become so many ? We have deer and fox and coyote and everything else. Poor old Red, lucky she survived the dog attack.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking great! I can't grow sweet potatoes in my climate so I'll be interested if you post again on their progress.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. I love the red one with the gingham trim. Congrats and good luck on your new venture.
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