The vegetable garden is now officially a disaster area.
Did I tell you earlier about the skunk that had been finding its way in under the fence? She tore a little hole in the plastic netting on the far north side of the garden. I tried to repair the hole, but it kept getting bigger.
I should have been more diligent in fixing the tear. Tricia kept saying she thought something bigger was getting in and munching on the tender leaves and flowers. A few days ago I surprised several grown deer in the garden. In their panic to escape they trampled down one whole side of the fence. Most of the garden was already gone, so I just left the fence down.
The real culprit is the drought. We have seen more animals around the house this summer than we ever have before. Neighbors say the same. Even the ones who manage to keep the animals out of their garden say they are not getting much produce.
I am chalking it up to a learning experience. Next year I will rethink the fence.
Comments (8)
It’s ironic that I’m catching up on my blog posts after posting on my striped visitor. Yep, nature is a bi**%*%. Sorry…
Robin at Bumblebee
We’ve noticed a lot more critters around the pond. And more digging in the lawn and in the beds. The drought causes hard times for all. Very depressing to read about your vegetable garden, though. When will summer be over.
Very sorry to read about your vegetable garden. I suppose with the drought and all it is too late to replant anything?
Hi Bill - sorry you lost your vegetables. At our last house some previous owners wanted vegetables so badly in spite of the deer that they built a house of iron and heavy chain link with a metal barrier around the base. They even imported soil from Garden-Ville!
I could just about stand up inside it and we’d put in a few tomatoes and peppers each year. Every leaf that could be reached by a tongue poking through the chain link was pruned, but no animals managed to get inside. Would something like this work for you?
I hope this is a link to the photo from my Jan 2007 seed post. The best crop we ever had came the year we had a slow leak in the pool, which was located above the wire house:
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Well, that didn’t work. The post is archived for Jan 6, 2007 if you’re interested.
Annie
I add my condolences about the vegetable garden. I think Annie’s iron house sounds pretty good…or maybe you just need a good recipe for venison chili? ((((smile))))
Bill, I live on Lake Georgetown and have lots of deer and various varmints around and dont have any problems with what I have now. I have a 4′ tall fence with thw cheap 2″X4″ mesh fencing on it. It’s openings are small enough to keep out rabbits. On each post I have a 36″ piece of rebar that sticks out parallel to the ground with a wire on the going all the way around. Deer cant jump it because of the 3′ distance and the varmints cant get through it, well except for the possums that climb over it to eat my cantalopes-ugh.
This is the fourth one I’ve built like it and it’s worked for every one else and me. And it looks pretty much like any other fence. If you would like I can email you pictures of it. Bob
Bill, it’s hard to keep the critters out sometimes, and a skunk is a bit of nastiness in the vegetables. So sorry.~~Dee