It rains...and rains...and rains. This is the wettest spring in a long time. We had a couple days of warmth and then the rain returned. I guess I should look at the bright side. I haven't had to hook up the irrigation system yet and things are growing in the garden. We have more greens than we can keep up with.
The newest garden challenge is keeping the quail out of the corn bed. Those little rascals have been eating off the tops of the newly sprouted corn shoots. I think at least half the corn is gone! I'm going to replant this weekend and put bird netting over the bed until the corn can get tall enough to fend for itself. I've never had so much trouble with the quail as I have this year. Earlier in the spring, they tried to munch down my sprouting sweet peas, too. My dad says quail are good eating. They'd better watch out or I could turn into a female Yosemite Sam, heading for the garden with guns blazing, yelling, "You gol-durned birds, get outta my corn!" Nah, I think I'll try the bird netting.
The other garden pest I have to deal with is the bunnies. One was out in the garden this evening, hopping between the beds, scoping things out. It's a cute little thing but definitely destructive. This year we've foiled them by putting a 2' chicken wire fence around the beds that contain the gourmet grocery, namely the greens, peas, carrots, parsnips, parsley, and beets. Last year they ate not only the beet greens but dug down and ate the tops of the beets as well. We got about four beets for the table. Hopefully, this year will be different. Like my neighbor, Don, said to me today as we compared garden pests, "It's always something."
He is absolutely right.
I thought I was your garden pest!
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