For the past three summers, we tried unsuccessfully to plant a vegetable garden. Our resident rabbits and full figured groundhog thoroughly enjoyed the buffet of young sprouts we planted. Multiple times. Nibbled right down to the soil. I believe they appreciated the work we went to solely for their dining enjoyment.
We tried various natural methods to deter but nothing worked. Last year my frustration escalated and I feared I sounded like Chevy Chase’s character Ty in Caddyshack vowing we would “Channel our Toronto roots and construct a G20 barrier around the garden. There is no way they will eat our vegetables this summer!!!” After the words came out my mouth, I realized I was scaring the children…and my husband.
Thanks to helpful gardening blogs, Twitter advice and reading up on the subject I decided to dig out old unused pots from the garage (and my parents’ garage) and see if we could grow vegetables in containers. It was a success. Well…sort of. It would have been a huge success if we had not left for our annual holiday to visit our family in New Jersey without arranging for someone to water our pots. (oops!) Thank goodness, we remembered the cat.
Despite record heat wave temperatures in Ottawa that week, our vegetable plants somehow survived. Unfortunately, they look very sad and damaged. We still feel successful because we have a lot of wonderful green peppers, tomatoes and the cucumber and zucchini are hanging in there. Fingers crossed they will continue to grow.
Yummy peppers
Scorched by the sun
We will learn from our many mistakes this summer and next year our garden will be even better. We plan to expand our crops to include beans and snow peas too. If space is limited or you have smart and hungry critters in your yard I recommend giving container gardening a whirl. Just remember to water if you go away for a holiday.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Can’t wait to see the harvest! I’ve had a difficult time with container gardening as the squirrels seem to like to dig in the pots and pull up my seedlings! Have tried some heavy rocks – which seems to help – but I need to find more! : ) Also loved seeing in Vanier some pop bottles filled with water turned upside down and stuck into the soil – great longer-term watering solution…
I am not a gardener, myself… either indoor or outdoor, flowers, herbs or vegetables. I seem to do OK with indestructible plants like aloe or those lucky bamboo things that are really a sub-species of corn, I believe. My mother does vegetables but all the effort she puts into it simply does not justify the results. My cousin for many years tried desperately to harvest cherries from the two or three trees on his property. The birds loved the cherries but I seriously doubt of my cousin tasted any of them. You have to do it because you love it, I think, and for the sense of pride and accomplishment. Good luck on this year’s harvest and on next year’s crops!
Hmm, those peppers look great!
For us, it’s been a real battle against the weeds. But I’m getting pretty sick of fighting them, I’ve pulled them all out twice already!
Katherine – Fortunately, squirrels haven’t found our containers. Phew!
Kosher Samurai – I am not a work hard gardener but my hat goes off to anyone with that kind of passion/interest. In our case, the kids tend the “crops”. Child labour is very effective.
Pauline – I’m guessing weeds are minimal in container gardening…at least, they are in ours. (I strongly dislike pulling weeds.)
Those peppers look like they’re coming along nicely! I’m sure you’ll do even better next summer. You’ll probably face different weather conditions and new problems, but your knowledge and skill set will continue to improve. It’s exciting to follow your garden’s growth!
Thanks for the encouragement Andrea. It was a good season for peppers (in our yard!)
Fantastic, and I admire your green thumb, when you are in town. And phew about the cat!
We used to grow tomatoes and hot peppers on our balcony many years ago and they worked really well. Lately I have felt so busy cutivating our children that I haven’t felt like I have time for gardening, but I do think this is something the kids would really enjoy doing, at least for the first half of the summer anyway
Bravo!