As always, I am having issues with Intruder in the garden. I have to be really careful where I pause, because the second I stop moving, he throws himself down on the nearest plants. He’ll roll on lettuce seedlings, onions, garlic, pretty much anything. Then, one false move on my part, and he will attack my legs. I both love and hate that cat.
The mesh garden netting that I bought to keep Intruder and the other cats from digging in the garden is only effective in beds that don’t have anything growing in them yet. A lot of my beds have tall plants growing in them so I can’t tack the netting over them. I have resorted to poking rows of sticks in the ground between the rows of lettuce seed I have planted. So far this is working really well. The cats aren’t motivated to dig in the areas with all those sticks poking out of the ground. Thankfully, they don’t bother beds with established plants.
The strawberries are in full bloom, and I am really hoping they will be ripening when my dad visits in a couple of weeks.
Crimson Clover is blooming. I say it every year, but I love it so much. I have a weird love for clovers in general.
The garden looks a bit wild and untamed in places right now, but it is actually mostly under control. I am seeing how long we can go without mowing between the beds, forever maybe? Clover blooms in the paths, and I am protective of every little blossom that might feed our bees.
I did not do a great job of writing in my journal these past two weeks, so my records aren’t exact.
April 2-April 9, 2012:
Separated Amish Paste tomato seedlings and re potted them.
Planted Wando peas in the gaps where frost killed much of my first planting.
Planted Bull’s blood beets in rows between the sugar snap peas.
Planted Yukon Gold potatoes in the other sugar snap bed.
Moved grocery store bought organic gold potatoes to beds outside the main vegetable garden. I am curious to see what they do.
Planted spinach seeds in the gaps in already established spinach rows.
April 10, 2012: Planted more rows of lettuce mix and added twigs between rows. Saw honeybees in the garden!
April 13, 2012: Cilantro is flowering, bachelor buttons are blooming. Spent a long time watering everything. I am concerned over the lack of spring rains and wondering what this summer is going to be like.
How is your garden growing?
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I wish my garden were growing like yours! We moved last fall and are just planning where to build the beds and getting ready to start planting. It is still a bit early to get anything in the ground here as we are nowhere near the end of frost. Less than 50 miles away, my uncle got snowed in at his cabin with over 18 inches of snow just a couple days ago. We only received a dusting, but it was a reminder that its still April and anything can happen.
Better late than never, right?! We had a great gardening weekend- put our first seeds of the year into the ground, followed by a great Spring rain. I so enjoy watching your garden beds (and envying how many you have!!)…thanks for sharing!
Oh my our cats are always in the way too. And the dog. But here on the west coast we are having the opposite problem, RAIN! In my town we have had flooding twice and my backyard is still a swamp. We are working on our raised beds and even trying out a keyhole garden this year. Hope your sticks keep working and the rain goes your way!!
A few years ago we made little cages out of some 1xs and chicken wire to fit exactly over the raised beds. They were very light and easy to move when I needed to tend the garden, but certainly more complicated than sticks poking out of the ground, which is what I’ll be trying next.
We don’t seem to have any trouble in our garden as far as our cats are concerned…but the deer! They are such pests. We built a 6 ft. deer fence on advice of good friends before we planted a single seed and are oh-so-thankful. My flower beds, unfortunately, provide many tasty treats for the local deer — one can never know what they’ll like from year to year! They’ve never once touched my daylily, but this year, they’ve devoured it. 🙁
Thanks for hosting this garden journal link-up. I’m keeping track more this year than I ever have thanks to you. 🙂
Blessings, ~Lisa
PS: Stop by and take a look at our proud mama cat and her seven kittens!
I love clover too…except when it’s burr clover (a horrid imposter that looks like clover at first and then grows aweful barbed burrs.) Your cat is adorable! Love that picture of her.
I added your Garden Journal Link-up to my squidoo lens here: http://www.squidoo.com/gardening-linkies
Hi Ginny!
I really enjoyed getting to ‘spend time’ at your garden patches. You mentioned that it might look a little messy but that it really does have order… I love the look of ‘messy!’ and I totally understand how there really is order even though it looks like that, although my husband would beg to differ 🙂 I am so happy to link up with the Saturday Garden Journal, I am a newbie at veggie gardening. I hope to be able to pick up helpful tips along the way from other garden bloggers. LOVE the tip of the sticks poking up to keep the cats out! I was so upset because a cat dug around where I just had carrots beginning to sprout. ….. But your kitty-cat is so CUTE!
Blessings, Deanna
Wow, you are patiently dealing with the cats. I fear my solution might be more along the lines of rehome the cats. That’s great that you found the stick solution though. It all looks very lovely, Ginny!
Thank you for continually inspiring me to persevere! I can’t believe you have strawberry plants blooming already – I have to admit I’m jealous!
I love your garden journal! We too have the little intruder in our garden! Always nice when things are up so I can see them and the “cat” stays out:)
Such a beautiful garden! I really like your Garden Journal and you inspired me to have one as well. Have a wonderful weekend,
Take care, Katharina
Well done with the use of sticks. We discovered that works (sometimes) with the deer, for helping to allow new plants get established outside of the garden (they would eat everything that is INside the garden). They seem to go around the stick areas, so baby plants don’t get trampled, and they don’t tend to want to stick their nose in there either.
Your pictures of your delightful cat are wonderful! We really enjoyed seeing them.
Your garden looks beautiful!!
Oh they can be such a pain sometimes! And you do need netting to protect those raised beds (too late for two of ours, which we will now have to reconsider what we’re planting into them). We have 4 cats and they are all very dear to me, but sometimes, just sometimes they can be a pain in the bum (we do get regular gifts of mice, though, so atleast I know there’s no chance of mice getting anywhere near the veg!)
I’ve been watering, too, and wondering when it’s going to rain again. Your post reminds me I need to plant more crimson clover for next spring.
-Heidi
I love the pictures of your cat. How can you gat mad at that sweet little face 😉
I haven’t done a thing in my garden yet this year. My strawberries are blooming and most of my herbs seemed to have wintered well, but i haven’t planted anything yet.
Maybe this weekend…
Your garden is coming along so nicely–oh, those strawberry plants!
The lack of rain concerns us, too…last year it was so wet that the hay didn’t do well, and this year it is too dry.
Intruder is sweet. We have Jake rolling on our feet all the time, but he doesn’t attack legs. I had a psycho cat who did that–would go from licking and purring to a mad attack and then run off. My sister and I sort of lived in fear of him, as he liked to hid and attack, like under beds and just outside the door when you came out of the bathroom.
Have a lovely weekend!
I love the pictures of your garden! I would love to have that many beds! We are putting in about 4 4×12 raised beds this year where our garden usually is. I am also going to dig up some of the side yard to put some herbs. Very exciting times! Now we just need to figure out where to put our new baby chicks…
Your garden is really beautiful. I hope someday I´ll be able to have a garden as big and beautiful as yours. My garden is a small one but I love spending my time in there. I´m waiting for the seeds to bloom and hoping that the cats don´t destroy everything. You can find me here http://colherdemae.blogspot.pt/
Hello! Your garden is sooooooo beautiful!! We are just starting our garden here in France. The sun is shining today and I can see the chicken making their way around what will be our vegetable patch ~ I will have to do something about that. Have a great weekend. Best wishes. Emily :o)
Ginny your garden is looking wonderful and your cat is so sweet. We used to have our dogs running through the veggie beds without a care in the world, so we fenced the beds off and also shade netted the area in an attempt to save water. We still have planty of birds enjoying our spianch though:) I am looking forward to seeing your garden grow and thrive throughout your Spring / Summer season. We are enjoying a lovely Autumn here in South Africa.
Linda