Oh no. We can't have any of THIS

I guess I've had it easy up to now.  When I grew vegetables over at Dorset Harvest Farm I had a huge spread of a garden--ten rows of vegetables and herbs.  Way too much food for my family alone but plenty to give away.  While I learned to deal with slugs and cabbage worms, it was rare that I had to mess with pests of the flying and crawling variety.  As for animals, I was decidedly blessed.  Deer were known to mow down the bulbs in the houses across the street from me but never found their way to the veritable buffet I had growing behind our house.  The worst thing I encountered was a squirrel nibbling at a strawberry or two--and then, only rarely.

Now I live west of downtown.  With the Syracuse "skyline" visible from my porch it makes my last house feel like the suburbs.  To add to the urban vibe, there is a warehouse behind our home that hasn't been kept up as it should.  And therein lives my unwanted neighbors. 

I see them peering out from the large door that gives them a perfect view of my raised bed--furry, roly poly, what--woodchucks?  They're a bit on the small side for that--or maybe they're just waiting to plump themselves up on my vegetables!

Well, I'm not having it.  We will have to figure out a way to peaceably coexist.  I'm working hard to tend my newly constructed raised bed of lettuces, radishes, spinach, tomatoes, and soon--garlic and I intend to eat the fruits of my labors.  One of us will have to forage a little harder for dinner tonight so the furballs next door are on notice--It will not be me!

Now I'm off to send Harrison out to find a suitably attractive and effective enclosure for the raised bed.  I've never subscribed to the "good fences make good neighbors" maxim but in this case I'm reconsidering.  Sigh.

Comments

[Shelly]

We have a band of furry woodchucks that live underneath our neighbor's deck. We used to love watching them amble around -until they began eating my parsley. I have little stubs where parsley used to be (ala Morticia Adams's roses). They don't seem to care for chives, oregano, or my other herbs, just the parsley. Perhaps they use it to freshen their breath after their supper of someone else's garden! Anyway, good luck with the fortress!

[kb]

we have a huge problem with deer - yes deer- in the euclid / allen/ fellow/ westmoreland blocks.

[bibliochef]

woodchucks are just hell. I know, I know, you are a minister. But, trust me. We hired someone with have a heart traps, and they took away almost 35 one year. We eventually went to killing the darn things. (The guy, same guy, is a cop. He's very environmentally savvy and stops when the predators start to be visible.) If you want the best piece on woodchucks ever, read an OLD Michael Pollen book called SECOND NATURE where a pacifist eventually napalms woodchucks. trust me, its a great read. And also the very old version of THE JOY OF COOKING has a recipe for cooking them. I made my partner and gardener neighbor a woodchuck book one year for Christmas (complete with woodchuck carols) they are so obsessed with the evil little demons.) Good luck. ANd trust me, read the Michael Pollan

[David]

I'll trade you woodchucks for rabbits. They have NEVER bothered the garden....until this year. A 50' row of beans is now a 25' row of beans..... and you can't even EAT rabbit this time of year. (Some sort of parasite or something).

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[term papers]

Blogs are so interactive where we get lots of informative on any topics nice job keep it up !!

[David]

I too have never had a problem with deer or rabbits bothering my garden, in spite of the fact that we have an abundance of both - until this year.

I have four 50 foot rows of beans that have just been decimated by "someone" using them for a salad bar. I've resorted to the Maximum Security Prison look by fencing them with chicken wire....and so far, the plants seem to be rebounding from their ordeal.... I'm guessing

Should this continue, we are going to be eating rabbit instead of beans. (And yes, you CAN eat them this time of year, you just need to wear rubber gloves and be very careful when cleaning them).

[Debbie]

Hi Jennifer, I don't know how big your garden is, but we've had great luck with the "Square Foot Gardening" method (Mel Bartholomew). My husband made some of the chicken wire cages to go over our raised beds and so far, no "visitors" have been able to get in. Good luck!

[Jennifer BB]

Thanks for the comments everyone. It helps to know that there are folks out there who understand. It is funny how context and circumstance are everything here--I remember how cute and wonderful I thought woodchucks and rabbits were back when they weren't my competition!