Oh. My. Gosh.

Squirrels are bastards - and here's the proof.  Kate planted a dozen strawberry plants yesterday.  They destroyed every one.  I'll wait until Kate gets home, maybe she can salvage something.

Strawberries Are In

More Spring Planting

Refer to the chart in the last post to know what is what and where!  One note, the strawberries are still hypothetical at this point.

Garden Graphs

Scroll for the East Garden.

A Good Start

Kate has the garden growing well so far.  Instead of describing what is where all the time, Kate has a little graph made out for each garden.  Now I just have to figure out how to post it.

She also planted ground cover plants around the tree in the back (below).  Hard to see now, but hopefully they grow well.

Garden 'Lids'

I took the time on Saturday, with a little help from my friend Jerome, to build two 'lids' - for lack of a better term - for the garden.  Just something to cover an area where Kate plants things so the squirrels don't dig it all up.  In this picture is the bottom of the west garden.  There is garlic coming up that was planted last fall and above that, covered by the 'lid', is more garlic that she planted on Saturday.  I thought I may have to screw it down, but the squirrels have not moved it at all.  They can get underneath if they really want to, but so far it seems they don't want to, which is very good.

Early April

Kate planted some seed strips earlier this week.  She told me what but I forgot.  I think there is lettuce and radishes between the raspberry stems, peas atop by their fence, and some garlic is coming up in the top left of this pic.  The compost needs turning but last weekend it was still ice in the middle.

First Spring 2014 Post

Wow, seems kinda musty around here.  I hope it's not been too much neglect to resurrect this place.  My wife has expressed an interest in posting here, and I have been encouraging it.  We'll just have to wait and see for a while, at least.  I think she would really like it, actually.

Anyways, here's a look at the gardens this evening.  Last weekend Kate did some work on the gardens and I removed some dirt from the path in between, covering it with straw to walk on and inhibit weed growth.  Since then the squirrels have had their way again, pockmarking them with holes.  Really makes you understand Bill Murray's character in Caddyshack, you know?

An Early 2014 Peek

Yesterday afternoon I was out clearing ice off the walks, so I had my boots on anyway; I strolled through the snow to take a rare look at the gardens at this time of year.  Aye, I've passed on trips to the compost bin through the last bitter cold spell.  Everything looks like I suspected it would.

The opposite back corner of the yard has seen some squirrel activity.  It seems they finally figured out that is where I throw all the walnuts when I clear the yard.  Unfortunately for them, the pile got topped off with blocks of frozen leaves when I finally got the gutters cleaned.  Also, it appears either a squirrel was snacking on a walnut while sitting on the fence or else chewing on the fence.  Judging from the whole, I'd say chewing on the fence.

Dig Dug Gardens

About a week after the last post Kate had a day off and she worked on the west garden.  She added dirt, compost and planted the garlic.  Since then, the squirrels have continued treating the gardens like their own little playground.  Daily she has had to check the garlic and strawberries, replanting when necessary and adding straw. 

The burning bush is finally showing how it got it's name.  After a good trimming this spring after the drought of last year, it is alive and well.  It started out quite overgrown and is probably better off.