This Year's Gardens: Part 8

Well, I almost threw in the towel there. Back in mid-May, I was bragging about getting the Hej garden planted. Look at my cabbage and cauliflower rows! Look at the zucchini! 

I was on a roll.

Ha.

Within ten days, maybe less, the Hej garden was a disaster. An absolutely frigging disaster. 

Why, you ask? Well, we have an abundant rabbit population in the neighborhood this year. Rabbits apparently love cauliflower plants. Those little demons ate all nine of them to the ground. Two might come back, maybe three, but the others are done. Apparently rabbits do not care as much for cabbage, so five of the six plants appear to be thriving.

[A note: I grew up eating rabbit, which my dad would hunt. As a young child, I helped my dad with the skinning and preparation of them. A few days ago, I eyed a rabbit inching closer to the kitchen garden and said, loudly, "Listen, dude, I have no qualms about trapping you and eating you. Understand?" It took the hint and fled.]

And the zucchini? The 20 zucchini (I'm sorry. Am I shouting?) that I planted so carefully? Some bug (insect or viral) got into them. First tiny, lacy holes appeared in the leaves. Then, within a few days, almost all had withered away. Not just drooped, mind you, but withered away to nothing. 

Nothing. 

I was so discouraged (and tired and not feeling well, which is separate from being tired) that I told Warren I wasn't sure I even was going to replant any of it. The farm market I prefer to get my plants at was, this late in the spring, all out of everything but tomatoes and some really hot peppers. Two other places had cabbages and even zucchini, but at $4.98 per plant, it made no sense to buy any of them. 

Warren and I had several strategy sessions standing at the garden. (And keep in mind that while the rabbits ate and the zucchini died, the weeds grew voraciously.) He was looking for ways to support and encourage me. What if? Or what if? 

What if we cage the surviving cauliflower? (Done.) What if Warren fences the two open sides of the garden? (We bought fencing yesterday at TSC.) What if I take a hoe and a rake to the garden, hack out the worst of the weeds, and then mulch? And what if, while working away, I open the second packet of zucchini seeds, hoe a coupe of lines, drop 'em in, and see what happens?

Those last two events happened at 6:30 this morning. (Yes, Katrina, I overdid it. On purpose.)

So here is what the Hej garden looks like now:

Warren will get it fenced later today. And then we see what happens.

We leave for Mayo early Tuesday and I wanted the gardens in order before we left. (Well, either in order or totally abandoned in the case of the Hej garden. "In order" won out.) I weeded the kitchen garden last night, so it is in decent shape. 

We have fresh lettuce up and ready to enjoy:

And the tomatoes are starting to blossom:

Let's see what the gardens look like when we get back later this week.