You know how I still like to share the ugly, or more difficult (more like frustrating) parts of homesteading? Just in case someone thinks it's all daffodils and tulips?
The last few nights I've noticed more of my newly sprouted medicinal herbs (in pots) have been disturbed. But how?
They are destroyed now. Not by barn cats either.
So, hence the potted plants were moved to another patio (where that stinkin' raccoon still dug up the pots), and will have to be replanted. The cat food will come in at night. We haven't had raccoon issues for awhile, so I kind of forgot about them this time of year.
The forks and upside down skewers didn't stop him either.
The good news? We got rain! Yay! Lots of it. We got more on Sunday, just after we put a large load of straw on the garden. We're doing things different this year. Instead of using all black plastic, we used the garden fabric, but slits in the center for small seeds like carrots, beets, radishes, and cut enough to put in mounds for other items. Then we loaded the tomatoes down with straw. We used very few garden stakes for the fabric and plastic, weighing the sides down with dirt. We are praying this will not only kill off weeds, but make this year much better.
We also will be netting the strawberry beds, and we have chicken wire to top the beds with greens (barn cats like to use them for toilets too). However, one raised bed shows no sign of strawberry plants. They died in the monsoon last year.
The last few nights I've noticed more of my newly sprouted medicinal herbs (in pots) have been disturbed. But how?
They are destroyed now. Not by barn cats either.
So, hence the potted plants were moved to another patio (where that stinkin' raccoon still dug up the pots), and will have to be replanted. The cat food will come in at night. We haven't had raccoon issues for awhile, so I kind of forgot about them this time of year.
The forks and upside down skewers didn't stop him either.
The good news? We got rain! Yay! Lots of it. We got more on Sunday, just after we put a large load of straw on the garden. We're doing things different this year. Instead of using all black plastic, we used the garden fabric, but slits in the center for small seeds like carrots, beets, radishes, and cut enough to put in mounds for other items. Then we loaded the tomatoes down with straw. We used very few garden stakes for the fabric and plastic, weighing the sides down with dirt. We are praying this will not only kill off weeds, but make this year much better.
We also will be netting the strawberry beds, and we have chicken wire to top the beds with greens (barn cats like to use them for toilets too). However, one raised bed shows no sign of strawberry plants. They died in the monsoon last year.
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I once faced off with one on the deck of our old home. It was a big'un too. I tried to scare it off with a stomp of my foot. It growled at me and sent me scurrying into the house for my broom. A few pushes with my broom, and it was off for the woods. I was glad too cause I didn't know what I'd do if the broom didn't work.
We haven't seen any 'coons around here, but we do have a possum. I use to chase it off with vinegar water in a spray bottle, but then had a change of heart thinking since I love all animals, why am I so repulsed by the possum, so now I toss cat food out into the yard for it and let it be.
Hope everyone's having a good week. I'm having a quiet one here cause I don't go back into work until Friday. Yayyy!!!
God bless.
RB
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