My First Vegetable Garden - Part 7

Well, lucky number seven! Here is the early July, 2016 garden update with some photographs for you.  My family and I went on vacation for a week down to the shores of North Carolina.  What a beautiful reprieve from hectic everyday life.  

Going on vacation, I was not worried at all about leaving the garden unattended for a week.  I have always read on websites that it is a good idea to have a friend water your garden while you are away, but this was not necessary.  If you recall, my beds are constructed based on Hugelkultur...burying logs, brush, and other heavy organic material under the soil in order to feed your plants, support the soil food web, and act as a reservoir for water...slowly releasing it in times of need-i.e., drought.

Well, no worries at all.  The garden prospered and so did the weeds and grasses in my pathways.

Here is another view after I weeded. It is a lot cleaner now.

But then, the story became quite clear.  My cucumbers and everything in the lower bed were gone.  It was a damn groundhog!  I even saw it on several occasions after that in the garden eating the fruits of my labor.  Sonofabitch!!!  I know everybody and everything has got to eat, but come on!  That was very disheartening.  Crestfallen is a good word in this situation.  See below how empty the garden is.  All that was left were a few marigolds, squash, and tomatoes.

Yes, marigolds you say?  Yes, it is thought that their peculiar aroma wards off some insect pests.  Does it? I do not know, but it could not hurt and it beautifies the garden.  Plus, some flowers are good to attract some pollinators as well--e.g., honey bees, butterflies, moths, etc. 

Well, see you next time and remember...Keep on Growing!

#gardening #nature