So… last weekend I bought two big plastic pots, some soil, a trowel, gardening gloves, and a watering can to make a vegetable container garden in my back yard. I bought three cherry tomato seedlings at the Soulard Market and promptly planted them in one of my pots. The stand I bought the tomatos from said that they would have zucchini next week, so I’m saving the other pot for those. Also, I think I may get another pot and plant carrots and leaf lettuce together. In addition to the vegetables, I got basil and flat leafed parsley to add to the chives that survived from last year in our herb planter.
I’ve been looking the plants over every day, and they have been looking worse and worse- all the plants! At first I thought the rain and wind we have had the last week had blown some leaves off or something, but after some closer examination, I have determined that I have a critter of some sort! At first I blamed the neighbors’ dogs because I have beef with them already (they poop in my yard) but after talking to some co-workers I am convinced that it is squirrels! In the city! I guess they have a harder time finding food than country squirrels, so it makes sense.
Solution: I’m going to buy some chicken wire and make cages to put on top of the soil, so they will keep out the squirrels and I can easily take them off to water and pick tomatoes. (Assuming they grow and make fruits) I am sure this will involve many cuts and scratches, but I have been so excited at the prospect of growing vegetables and I’m not going to give up on these seedlings that I have accepted into my life as my babies! I work a half day on Fridays, so I’ll be heading to Lowe’s to get supplies and get to work building. BF will be at Mizzou for the Phi Delta Theta annual alumni golf tourney, so I’ll just have to figure this out on my own. I’m an engineer- it can’t be too difficult!
Update: completed cages. Take that, squirrels!
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