I forked my beans to keep the rabbits away from them.
Some may look at this fortress of forks and think it looks ridiculous, but it really does help protect the tender bean shoots from being mowed down by a bunch of marauding, toothy, ravenous rabbits.
I also forked my pepper plants, but not before the rabbits bit off three of them.
Overall, I am pleased with how the garden is growing so far this season.
Except for the rabbits eating the three pepper plants, or rather biting them off and leaving the stem on the ground as though they are some kind of gang marking their territory, the wildlife have more or less left the garden alone.
Well, except for the strawberries. Some birds have been pecking at them. I’m too trusting of the birds. They sing from the trees while I work in the garden and I think how nice it is to have birds in the garden. All the while, behind my back, they are pecking away at my strawberries. And to think I have black oil sunflower seed, the good stuff, in the bird feeders.
I should really cover the strawberries.
Other than those few little problems, and some inexplicable dying of a stem on one of my apple trees, the garden is doing well. I will have to conjure up memories from way back when I was in college to figure out if the dying stem is due to fire blight or apple scab, or maybe the branch was damaged and just died?
Let’s turn away from the problems and note what’s right about the garden, shall we?
Looking to the east, you can see the peas are blooming, even though threatened by strawberry plants intent on world domination, of at least that one raised bed. Too bad for them, though, because I won’t let them grow much further. The lettuce in the next bed is looking good, and tasting good, too.
I need to eat more lettuce.
Oh, to have such problems.
At the other end, looking to the west, you can see the tomato plants all planted and staked. I drive two foot stakes of PVC pipe into the ground as far as I can using a mallet, and then stick those spiral stakes in the pipe. This provides a good, strong stake to support the tomatoes, which I intend to grow to heights never before achieved in my garden.
Hope springs eternal in a garden
Now, I just need to clean out the narrow bed that runs along the fence and plant some zinnias, marigolds and sunflowers there, and my garden will be all set to be My Best Vegetable Garden Yet.
MBVGY.
How’s your vegetable garden?
Looking food Carol. I think your fork idea is inspired!
Who would have known that you could grow a crop of plastic forks? And in such an attractive garden…
I net my gardens from birds and most mammals except the voles who can get under the net….so I may use the forks against the voles and see if it works.
Sadly, I don't have a vegetable garden anymore. I'm a dedicated flower girl and love growing tropicals and container gardens. Keeping the critters and insects away from the veggies proved too much for me. I don't mind a few flowers eaten but when they got my veggies it made me frustrated as heck, so, no more vegetable garden for me.
Your garden is sublime! So tended and beautiful. If I had a lovely spot for a vegetable garden like yours I'd probably give it another try.
This is what I like about blogs from other countries. The problems are the same( rabbits) but the solutions…I pass it through to my daughter. She has a lovely rabbit in her backyard, but the rabbit eats everything!! Groetjes from Holland,
Hetty
Your garden definitely looks like it's on its way to being the Best Vegetable Garden ever! I use plastic forks in a couple of my planters to keep my cats from thinking they're nice litter boxes:) Hope your rabbits are equally repelled!
The forks are a clever idea ~ hope it works! You have more patience than me. I'll stick with flowers.
Oh Carol how I wish my vegetable garden looked like yours! I just cleaned out everything except the onions over the weekend with the hopes of bettering my skills with this next crop of summer plantings. Maybe they will do better now that I amended the soil with composted goodness & organic fertilizers. Any suggestions for a successful zone 10b veggie garden, lol. We are lucky here to deal with only birds & rats in our South Florida neighborhood, no rabbits, moles or deer here. Though love the clever fork idea. Wishing you a great week!
Happy Gardening & Best Wishes,
Sheri
http://www.pompanobeachgardening.blogspot.com
oh my goodness, I love your tomato stakes! and glad the forks idea is working too. I think your definitely going to have your Best Vegetable Garden Yet!!
The rabbits are definitely going to want you to fork over some vegetables!
Carol, your garden looks fantastic and I hope those forks work
You must have an awful lot of leftover spoons and knives Carol !!
How ungrateful are those birds ! Do they not appreciate all you do for them ? My Fantails are equally selfish and, even though they are fed daily, they still eat the tops of pansies and sempervivums !!
What a great idea! I don't have rabbits but if I get a client that need help I will remember this creative solution. Thank for sharing!!! Love your garden : )
I have to surround my vegetable beds with welded wire fencing, to keep out the deer, and it seems to keep out rabbits as well, as long as I close up the gates. Once I surprised a smallish rabbit inside a bed and it tried to go through the fence and got stuck before its hind quarters. I had to pull the wires further apart on each side of its tummy to release it. Unfortunately fences won't keep out the voles, which are very destructive and nip off my pole bean vines above the ground, without even eating any of them. I have to resort to all kinds of measures to deal with them, nothing works 100%.
Try putting netting over the strawberries it keeps the birds from being able to eat them and the sun can still get to them. I love you little fork idea.
Hannah ,
put pinwheels in the ground around where the Voles make their tunnels they do not like the noise it makes.
For birds you can put a stake in the ground and tie tin pie plates like you get frozen pies in with string to the stakes the movement scares the birds.
I tried planting forks with my vegetables and with an indoor plant to keep the cats out. I think they laughed at my efforts because it was highly unsuccessful. They killed my indoor plant, but luckily they didn't disturb my vegetable garden too much. I've not had a rabbit problem yet, but if I do, I'll give it a shot again.