Oh deer

I really like gardening. This year I’ve been more precise in the planning and tracking of each plant and seed so that I can replicate what I like and avoid making the same mistakes again. This year also marks the second year that my neighbor’s garden was hit with blight, and I was again spared. So, I understand that even with planning, luck has even more sway in the success of a garden.

Mid-September I decided to plant a fall garden, an experiment. Even as my seedlings grew, it was still dicey. My biggest fear was that the frost would be early this year. As I was focused on weather reports, the garden’s natural predator made its first appearance ever. Deer. And so many of them. They were not content to just snack on the beanstalks, they tromped through everything else with their sharp, hooven feet to uproot the fledgling fall sprouts.

My fall garden experiment? Done, over, failed. My efforts to keep deer away from the garden next season? Oh, it’s on.