Then again, maybe in sandy soils it wouldn't be as bad. Here in the yucky, sticky clay belt, it's a no-fun situation.

Sandy, you're right about modern kids being wimps, but we do protect them a lot more than our parents protected us. It's the fault of all those Gol Durned Lawyers!

Anyway, yes that is a rockin good price on the chicken wire where you are, but guess it's not here. It would still cost me over $100 to put it around our garden, and if I'm going to apply for more money, might as well go for the PVC coated wire so it will last longer and hopefully not have sharp protrusions.

Huh ! I wonder why it's so much cheaper here... but at any rate, I agree about the "sharp protrusions," for years I used tomato cages that we made out of fencing and everywhere it was clipped off with the wire cutters was a potential injury to whoever came near. It was so bad that I just started carrying paper towels and band-aids in my pocket when I would go out in the garden, then I didn't need to go back to the house for "repairs"

And isn't it amazing that any of us have survived this long? But then, it's also a shame how things have changed such that the kids really do need more protection...

One reason for the sale price, (not to rub it in or anything ) you're going into winter up there, whereas the 'real' gardening season is just starting here. Most full time FL residents don't do a lot of gardening in the summer, it's too hot even at night. So everybody's just getting up to speed here and they can sell stuff at full price.

My kids live in Utah, and I'm always amazed at the sale prices on garden stuff there in the fall. They clear out the garden center almost completely and bring most of that kind of stuff inside. Hey! I'll have to look at HD there when I visit next and see if their chicken wire is cheaper than here. Better take a big suitcase, huh.

Yep, that's probably what it is!

Here's a thought re the bunnies.....have the kids plant a 'trap' crop around the perimeter/partial. Plant whatever the bunnies like most and throw in some leaf lettuce and zinnia seeds to round it out. Kids can replant every two weeks....maybe connect it to a lesson about sharing...?


Now here we have Sophie the Supergirl plus the Cat Gang..no critter dares chew in my garden or lives to tell about it. This is Lovey...don't let his name fool you...

Elaine, That is such a nice experience you're providing for the kids. I''m a retired Elementary Principal, and we used to have some gardening experiences for our students too, only we had to do it as part of summer school, as by now most of the garden is finished for the year. Can I make a friendly suggestion? Wouldn't it be a great learning experience to let the kids brainstorm some solutions to this problem rather then have the adults solve it for them? I'm sure they would have a good time coming up with solutions, and experimenting with them. They could also come up with ways to fund any projects they decided to do. Thinking and problem solving skills are by far the most important things we can teach kids, and the only way to teach that is to give them opportunities to practice them. Experiment, and learn from their mistakes. The important thing in this project is for them to learn, not to get a huge crop of anything. Just my 2 cents worth. Have fun!

So right, Tom and thank you! We do always keep in mind that the main harvest in the garden should be what the kids learn and 'everything, good and bad, is a learning opportunity'. We always plant lots of beans because they bear quickly AND attract so many pests. The bean leaf rollers are always a big hit with the kids! We planted squash as sacrificial plants last year just to see how well they grew and how fast they collapsed when the caterpillars started munching them. It's all related to 'this is what farmers deal with to grow food for you'. Lots of the kids already have a new respect for what it takes to put veggies in our tummies.

We are SO lucky to be able to do the garden right through the school year down here! But . . . you knew there'd be a 'but' . . . we are losing plants every day to this bunny or bunnies. The kids are only in the garden with us one day per week, Tuesdays. If we don't come up with a 'sure fire' plan this coming Tuesday we may have to call Animal Control, then there will be traps and unpleasant scenarios for the kids, I'm afraid. I did already put down the scent deterrent, but I'm not optimistic on that one. I think we will have to go to a fence for long-term control.

We also see a group of classes for this semester, harvest everything before the holidays to make Stone Soup (google it ) and plant a whole new garden with a new set of classes starting in January. This way more kids get to experience the garden. So . . . well we're usually up against a deadline to get things growing so all the kids will have at least some veggies to put in the Stone Soup by mid-December.

Bunnies like new shoots of practically everything, it seems. But I do think it was the alfalfa that attracted them in the first place.

They do like the alfalfa pellets. I have been told, but haven't tried it, that blood meal will repel rabbits. I used to line the perimeter with marigolds, as they don't seem to like them, and it helped a bit. Now I just plant enough to share with them, as I can't seem to stop them. You could set up small temporary fences around new plantings until they are more established. A couple of years ago, I had coyotes come around, and boy it was nice and rabbit free for a short time anyway.

We had a big coyote population explosion a couple of years ago, too -- probably because the rabbit population was huge at that time... I love hearing them yipping and howling out in the woods at night (as long as I know my cats are safely inside!!).

Unfortunately, the coyotes probably can't get into the school grounds. There is 8ft. chain link all around the back playground where our garden is, and pretty wrought iron 6ft. tall (with 5in gaps . . . bunny size) out front. School security, right? Arg. won't keep people out worth a dam.

We do have a healthy population of hawks and eagles, though. Hoping they might take care of the bunny/bunnies since they have to cross the open field to get to the kids' garden. Wish the raccoons would hunt the bunnies - there are dozens of raccoons on the school grounds, but at night only. We see their tracks, and their poop in the butterfly garden puddling area. They don't bother the plants, so far.

Any predator is going to also leave bunny 'parts' around which would be a hard lesson for the kids in nature's balance . . .

Great idea for Stone Soup, Elaine - just love that story and all it's permutations!

Well, the weather people have made it official...there will be snowflakes in the morning....I've picked all the peppers (yes, I went with the Peter picked a peck etc.) and a few more tomatoes...ought to go grab the last few spaghetti squash....or grab a tarp. I *should* go pick the herb garden....or grab a sheet. Look what bloomed yesterday:




pineapple sage

I'm headed out to get the final batch of tomatoes right now. Of course the plants are just now looking good, and are loaded with fruit. I have to laugh, because I can never get over a gardener's optimism and tenacity. We'll do it all over again next year, too.

This is a tough time, I remember when we lived in Utah and the first frost would come, kill everything and then there would be another month of Indian Summer, beautiful weather that the plants could have continued to ripen all that last fruit.

I do remember saving a couple of tomato plants one fall with an old sleeping bag that did a great job of insulating.

I always have mixed emotions about this time of year. I hate to see the frost come, but it's my excuse to stop canning and freezing things. I hate to see things go to waste, but I am glad to get my kitchen back in order and put all that equipment away for another year. I don't think that some of the veggies taste the same anymore, so that helps reduce the quilt, lol. I like that I have some extra time to go out and just enjoy this fabulous time of year.

Yikes -- you have snow coming and we don't ??

It only got down to 34 last night, but tonight is supposed to be colder. It's really windy out though, and there is cloud cover so I don't think it will get very warm today. Maybe some rain or snow!

Very windy and cold here, but it will warm a little in the next few days. So many green leaves still on the trees this fall that it will take a long time to get them all picked up and into the gardens.

We were supposed to get some snow flurries last night, but I don't think it happened. All of the Dahlias look fine, and they don't stand up to frost.

I did bring in most all of my potted plants last night, and picked the peppers and the last of the tomatoes (and bunches and bunches of flowers). After tonight it looks like the temps will go back up for at least a week, so I now wish I hadn't picked the peppers - I have to figure out what I am doing with them.

I haven't made it outside to check closely, 40's and rainy is not my favorite gardening weather!

I picked about half of a 5 gallon pail of red and green peppers yesterday too, thinking things would be frozen today. I just finished cutting them up and blanching them and put them in the freezer for winter use. I saved a few that I can use fresh. I also gave about a half of a grocery bag of them away to friends yesterday. I have about a doz. egg plants waiting for me to do something with them. I also picked another 5 gallon pail of tomatoes, with much more of them still out there, but I have had all the canning I'm going to do. I'll puree these and freeze them. I think it will be colder tonight if we loose the cloud cover.