Can we talk?

Mother Nature

         The deer ate all the green beans in our small raised garden. It seems that deer in cities and subdivisions just outside the city have gotten tame. They aren't afraid of us and think our yards are for their enjoyment. They aren't even bothered by traffic or dogs. You can try various cloth traps and things that are supposed to irritate them, but they get used to it and go in the garden anyway. I read that Coast soap shaved into pieces and distributed around the garden will keep them away. I tried it, but the soap melted in the sun and didn't stop anything.

         On the other hand, we do have little eggplants and green peppers growing in pots on the back porch. The pots are high up on railings and you have to go up steps or a wheelchair ramp to get to the porch. So far the deer and other critters have stayed off the porch. The squirrels, the birds, and the insects have them all to themselves. I also have chives, dill, and flowers on the porch. It was hard to pick the strawberries before the birds got them.

         These are regular green peppers. I know that when planted in pots, they aren't as productive as when planted in the ground. The eggplant was bred for patio boxes, so we'll wait and see what they do. I don't expect any great size to them.

         So now we're discussing the costs of tall fencing, or something that shocks, versus just eliminating the garden and all its work. If we do the latter, I will certainly miss those home grown tomatoes. Nothing in the store comes close to one grown by you or a neighbor.