Surprisingly, the local critters have caused no damage to the raised garden pictured in the original post. DonDiego says "surprisingly", because there is an animal trail that comes out of the woods across the street fronting the house, passes right next to the garden, and leads down the overgrown hillside behind the house. The most common animal "herds" passing by are turkeys and deer, and occasionally foxes or groundhogs. That's why he posted the "Turkey Crossing" sign along the road.
This is the third year for the big garden. The last two years DonDiego did apply a commercial deer repellant around the entire raised bed; this year he has not. But no wildlife has ever damaged any plants.
In addition to the vegetables there are marigolds around the edges, which DonDiego planted to retard nematodes. And he plants something called Borage, an edible leafy herb-like plant, among the marigolds to attract bees; regrettably this year he has yet to see any bees.
Before the big garden, DonDiego planted a few plants in a small, . . . 12' by 6', . . . bed, and the critters never bothered the transplanted tomatoes and hot peppers; occasionally there'd be teeny-weeny baby bunnies playing and chasing each other around the 'maters and peppers, but no damage.
The only damage he ever spotted back there was a few peppers which had been sampled by some unidentified birds.
Now that he's got the big garden, he plants lettuce and radish seeds in this smaller plot. The little critters, . . . rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels etc., . . . would nibble the seedlings to the ground before they were 2-to-3-inches tall. The squirrels would also bury their nuts in this bed. So poor old DonDiego constructed a simple frame holding netting to keep them out. So far so good.
2 June 2015Yesterday was an interesting time up heh' on the ridge. Shortly after a mid-morning shower DonDiego spotted a lady turkey walking along the back border of the property, . . . and beneath/around her were
at least 7 itty-bitty furry babies, . . . maybe their first walkabout ever! They'd hide under her, . . . and then run-ahead or stay behind until they realized she wasn't close enough, so they'd run back to her. DonDiego learned baby turkeys are called "poults".
DonDiego also noted a significant increase in tiny birds enjoying the seeds in the bird feeders behind the house, . . . apparently a good year for newborns.
And a few hours later teechur spotted a lady deer about to cross onto the neighbor's lot. DonDiego went to look, . . . and noticed she had stopped and was staring back from where she'd just been. So poor old DonDiego looked out the back door and saw this little guy.
It is very,
very rare that opening the back door does not result in whatever animal DonDiego wants to photograph scampering away at full speed. Momma really has to teach her newborn to run away better.
DonDiego supposes the little fella had been distracted by all the interesting new things in his world.
