Gardening by default

[Maryt]

I became a reluctant gardener after moving into my home a year ago. With the encouragement of my neighbour I have a lovely veggie plot and have tomatoes, capsicum, dwarf beans, eggplant, chillies, lettuce, corn, peas, basil, oregano at present.I have a passionfruit vine to plant this week I harvested parsly, spring onions, garlic, baby spinach, chives, & lettuce earlier and have enough to give my family when they visit.

My skills as a gardener have suprised all my family and friends as I never did anything while Bob was alive, he did it all. I still dont like getting my hands dirty so gloves are essential. I do love to sit in the garden and look proudly at the plants growing and know I have managed this lovely sight.

[Alastair]

That's quite a range of vegetables you're growing... well done you!

Alastair

[Glesgalass]

Well done Mary I hate gardening. To me it's a chore just like housework and I don't like getting my hands dirty either.

Elda

[Maryt]

I picked my first beans today and they taste lovely.. Can't wait for the egg plants..:-)

[Marie]

What a good looking garden Maryt

[FriedaKateM]

I rather envy you being able to get garden stuff out at this time of the year. I look out on snow which has been "on ground" longer than I can remember. Last summer, I had difficulties with my garden beds, as baby/young rabbits were eating the beans off to little stems only. I had a mother cat who came to my barn to have kittens, and she eventually caught all the younger rabbits to feed to kitties. I am feeding, I think, an older tom cat in the barn, so perhaps some cat will take care of the rabbits next spring/summer. I love having a garden, but was having to put coyote urine pellets around garden, in effort to keep the rabbits out. This was the very first time that I lost so much to rabbits. Still eating green/yellow beans which I finally did produce eventually. Joan

[FriedaKateM]

Here's something exciting!!! Last fall I planted some different kinds of garlic, actually 3 types, and some multiplier onions, in the same bed where the young rabbits ate the beans. I was out today, before the rains came, as they're doing right now. Anyway, there's tips of garlics coming up, and the multiplier onions are waking up as well. Now, here in Southeastern Indiana, it is definitely not spring yet. But have noticed trees budding & pollinating, plus my garlics, onions. Isn't that great?? I plan only to use the last of my pkts of beans to plant, as afraid of those "wabbits", HA! Does anyone know how to keep rabbits from eating the growing veggies? Joan

[miolchu]

Does anyone know how to keep rabbits from eating the growing veggies? Joan

It will not look pretty, but you can purchase a roll or two of chicken wire about 18" wide. part of the roll should be laid flat on the ground at the border of your garden and staked using sod staples. The remainder can be strung vertical at the edge of the garden using dowels approximately 1" diameter. You should be able to step over this small fence to tend your garden and keep the baby lagomorphs at bay.

[Maryt]

Just picked my first eggplant, it is huge, will be cooking that tonight

[Marie]

Can't wait until the Tomates and Lettuce are planted..