Updates

I've gotten a bit behind on posting to my blog. I have been very busy. I graduated with my Associate's Degree. It was a great experience but also very frustrating. The speakers took WAY too much time and I was about ready to scream by the time we finally got to walk. Worse yet, my four year old got frustrated too and subjected everyone in the auditorium to one of his lovely temper tantrums. My mother-in-law took him outside but not before everyone was staring. I was just sitting hoping that no one knew me well enough to connect me with the screaming child in the stands. Don't look, don't look, don't look!

In garden news the darn gopher is at it again. He ate my bean seedlings and I am debating whether it is too late to start again. Some of the seedlings are still growing but about half of them were clipped off too close to the ground and won't grow back. I am hesitant to use lethal options but becoming tempted. There are children and pets in the area and I don't like the idea of putting out poison of any kind in case it should go somewhere other than where I intended. So poison is pretty much out. I have thought about using a sonic spike but they have mixed reviews to say the least. I think I am going to be left with the stinky but known effective route of predator urine. Meanwhile, in continuing frustrating news a number of seedlings in the greenhouse have succumbed to damp off and a neighborhood cat is digging (and leaving presents) in my garden beds. The gooseberry set a beautiful crop of berries only to drop nearly all of them a week and a half later. I am not sure if proper pollination or the bush not being mature is the problem here. I may have to look into a mason bee house. In slightly better news the strawberries look set to produce a bumper crop but they may ripen in the week we are going to be away from home so that is a little frustrating as well. Needless to say, I am not having the best garden year I have ever had but I am trying not to let that discourage me.

I have put out squash and cucumbers as well as planted some of the cucumbers and luffas directly in the dirt of the greenhouse floor. I am hoping that at least one batch, those planted outdoors or those in the greenhouse, do well. 

Well, more later perhaps.