HI Mary!
Yes, that's exactly what happened here, too. Northeastern system came in overnight.
I'll be out there today doing some investigative work. If memory serves me correctly, our main bed is about 450 sq ft. Then we have the asparagus bed (8x16 - which is doing beautifully) and a newly planted potato bed (8x16). I even scoured up an extra area this past summer for corn and pumpkin (8x8), but that wasn't too successful. Chances are it'll end up being another lantana area in the future. I have found that the lantana is the best flowering plant for our area that the cottontails don't devour. The bed is poor soil, really... back filled with mostly a heavy mix of straw and rabbit manure with some top soil. I just thought I'd just give it a whirl. I did get one sugar pumpkin, tho!
Our muscadine grapes did well for their first year. Fruit was small, but sweet. Not enough for harvest, just yet, but promising! My poor goji Berry has been fighting it's way to stay alive. It needs better protection from the ground chipmunk squirrels. The chicken wire I have around it is no barrier for them, so it looks like I'll be needing the welded wire for it. They've attacked it multiple times, stripping it of all its leaves, but it bounces back.... Hardly little thing!
I planted two golden plums, but lost one of them. Not sure why... It was odd, really. Upon planting the one that initially flourished ended up dying while the one I figured wouldn't make it sprang to life! What I have learned is that as far as any trees go, I'll only buy the older ones in the future. No more tree twigs. Problem is that the ground is so difficult to dig and neither my husband nor I have the "youth" to get a large enough hole. Have you seen the price of a two man auger!?
In my mind, I can see what I want where, but in reality, it's too much work for these ole bones. The raised beds keep me busy enough. I have family nearby and we have plans to share the expense of some rented machinery in the future... Maybe then I'll get a small orchard started.
Thanks for checking in, Mary. Hope all is well!
