I am happy to report the Impact Community Garden project is off to a great start this year. Despite record rainfall, and temperature swings that yo-yo from below normal cold to sweltering hot spells, things are growing quite well there. And for a first year project, we are making great progress if I do say so myself.
cabbages survived killer rabbit attack (click on any image to enlarge)
So far we’ve planted potatoes, lettuce, onions, cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, green beans, and a few herbs. Everything except the broccoli is doing fine. A rabbit (or two, or three) mowed down the seven broccoli plants and dined on the lettuce before we went into defensive mode. We put up some chicken wire fencing around some of the plants, and I’ve been spraying some hot pepper wax repellent occasionally as a deterrent. Ironically, while the rabbit(s) ate every broccoli plant, they completely ignored the 20 or so cabbage plants in the same row. Go figure!
lettuce is protected now
We replanted the broccoli area with some Swiss Chard seedlings. And the lettuce has come back nicely after being grazed on, so all was not lost there either. The green beans could be the next meal for the rabbits when they start sprouting, but hopefully the hot pepper spray will keep them away. Unless, of course, we have rabbits that like it spicy! We do have plenty of bean seed if we need to replant.
potato foliage is shooting up, will need hilling before long
For our next planting session we are going to plant peppers, eggplant, squashes, cucumbers, melons and sweet potatoes. We also might try and get some more herbs in if the seedlings are far enough along. I have basil, parsley, fennel and dill growing and in need of a good home. We have cilantro and rosemary already, plus I think our one tiny basil plant has even survived! At some point we want to plant a few flowers, both to beautify our garden spot and to attract some pollinators and other beneficial insects.
Cilantro and Rosemary
Everyone involved, me included, seems to be enjoying the project so far. And I predict folks will really enjoy it when they start harvesting. The lettuce could be ready in a couple of weeks. It has been enjoying the wet and cool conditions so far.
lettuce is getting big
With any luck at all, our 30×60 foot garden spot has the potential to produce quite a bit of food this year. We’ve been talking about putting in some raised beds later on so we can grow carrots and other goodies that would like a looser, less rocky soil. Someone has even been dreaming of asparagus, but we won’t mention any names. I’ve been thinking blackberries would be an easy to grow addition, if anyone likes them. Of course it’s hard for me to say no to growing much of anything!
tomatoes will get bigger cages later
I hope you enjoyed this update on the project. You can bet I’ll be back with more updates later in the season as things progress.
Sometimes it seems like half the battle is in keeping the critters away from the plants…everything is looking really good.
My dogs ate my brocolli, all they left me was a 1 inch stump. They have also eaten green tomatoes and celery. The garden now has a fence to keep out the dogs. Not sure how to keep the cats from laying on the onions though.
Wow! Everything looks great, especially given this year’s bizarre weather. Wild that the rabbits left the cabbage alone and instead gobbled up the broccoli! Hopefully the fencing you have in place now (along with the pepper spray) will do the trick and keep those pesky rabbits out. Looks like you’ll have quite the harvest in a few months!
I guess your rabbits are like me. They love broccoli. So far I haven’t noticed any four legged animals in my garden but the cats. They can be annoying enough, but they don’t mow down the plants.
Looks like the garden is growing well.
Congrats on the fabulous garden! What a great project!