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| Testing to See if the Carden Cats can Read! |
Friday turned out to be a day of gardening! In the morning, I watered the back yard and then, did some weeding. In the afternoon, M arrived to tend to the garden. We planted two tomato plants, a bell pepper plant, a serrano chili plant, a basil plant, and a cosmos plant. Then, he prepared another planting bed and planted the okra seeds I had put to soak, last night. We planted regular green okra and a burgundy okra! I have never tried burgundy okra, so I am curious to see how they turn out.
After he left, I felt the need to rig up some kind of barrier to keep the garden cats from digging in the newly planted bed. I used some leftover pieces of hardwood flooring as stakes and attached a small piece of wire mesh to one of the shorter sides. Then, with my daughter's help, I stretched the last bit of chicken wire along one of the longer sides. Except, the remnant piece of chicken wire wasn't enough to cover the entire length of that side. So, the old window screen was brought into service to fill in the gap along that side. Which left the remaining two sides open! I had no more wire mesh and no more old window screens. All I had was a leftover roll of caution tape that I had bought many years ago, when I planted some flowering plant seedlings. along the parkway and was trying to keep people from trampling them. So, I used that! I couldn't get the tape to stay taut because, every time I pulled on it, the stake at the end slanted a bit more! I eventually straightened it up a bit with a stone to hold it in place. And I stuck a short stick midway along the long side and twisted one or two of the tapes around it to help with the sagging.
My daughter laughed and asked me if I thought the garden cats could read! She took the picture before I had straightened the stake and sent it to M, with the caption, "My mom is testing to see whether or not the outside cats can read!" LOL. Well, maybe they won't be able to read, but, hopefully, the tape will deter them from digging up the planting bed and disturbing the okra seeds; at least until I can ask M to buy me another roll of chicken wire!
The planting beds are being made wherever there is enough room, at this point. I won't win any awards for landscaping and garden design, but, I am fine with that!
In between playing in the garden, I took a couple of slices of the banana-blueberry bread across the street to neighbor S, practiced the piano, and cleaned the litter box.
Brunch was a salad, followed by a slice of the banana blueberry bread. Dinner was hamburgers that daughter made. I grated a zucchini to add to the ground beef and daughter added diced onion, breadcrumbs, and an egg to the mixture before forming the patties. I teased her that she was making mini meatloaves, but the resulting patties were very moist and flavorful. Then, she made a red wine reduction sauce (butter, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, red wine and water) to go on the beef patty:
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| Gourmet Burger! |
It was a delicious dinner and there are leftovers for another couple of meals.
Today, I am grateful for:
- Having a garden to plant
- M helping with the gardening
- My new pair of gardening gloves
- Daughter making dinner
- Leftover roll of caution tape!
Today's joyful activity was playing in the garden.
What do you think? Do you think the garden cats will pay any attention to the caution tape and keep out?
Cats are very smart. I bet they will read the tape. Let's just hope that they take heed. :)
ReplyDeleteI planted some vegetable seeds a couple of weeks ago, and something has been digging them up. I never see cats around, so I am blaming rabbits. However, my husband has built some barriers that will hopefully keep them out. The deer and squirrels can still get in, but hopefully we have deterred the rabbits.
So far, so good! I don't see any visible evidence of any feline activity in the okra bed!
DeleteOh, I hope the barriers your husband made will keep the rabbits out! What are you planning to grow this year?
I have sowed several cold weather crops-cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, peas, radishes, carrots, and beets. Hopefully some of them will grow and produce, but they are not going to eliminate our trips to the grocery store.
DeleteI hope they all grow and give you lots of fresh, healthful produce! :)
DeleteIs this round one of a battle with the cats, that's my thought. Good luck anyway, I'm cheering you on!
ReplyDeleteI had to google to how okra grows ... not at all what I was expecting, it looks like it'll be a big plant.
Eventually, I will need to buy more wire fencing!
DeleteSo far, I haven't had much luck growing okra. Mine have all been very stunted little plants because I planted them a little later in the year and there'd be a heat wave just as the seedlings get started that would kill half the plants, etc. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will be the year in which I manage to grow okra! But, now, I'm second guessing myself and wondering if I should have started them in a seed tray and transplanted them, later.
I am sure the cats can read, but they might not be able to read English. Maybe a multi language banner might be easier for them to understand. I remember once as a kid hearing a Spanish speaking family at a picnic table next to us calling squirrels over to their table and I thought "that is silly, those squirrels understand English"
ReplyDeleteOops! I used only what I already had! I speak to the cats in English and Sinhalese; my daughter will, sometimes, speak to them in Japanese, so they are multi lingual cats! :D
DeleteSounds like a great day in the garden. I hope the caution tape works! Have a great weekend Bless. :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed my day of gardening! The caution tape seems to have worked, so far! Keeping my fingers crossed! Thank you, Martha. Hope you have a great weekend, too. :)
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ReplyDeleteI can just imagine those garden cats watching from their hiding places and wondering what you are up to with all the various items to protect that area! I hope they stay out and let your plants grow in peace.
ReplyDeleteHa, ha, so far they have kept their distance! But, I had better get some more wire mesh, soon!
DeleteHa ha! That's really funny. I can almost see the cats coming up to read it and then deliberately stomping through the area just because cats can be quite contrary.
ReplyDeleteOh, no! Don't give them any ideas! :D
DeleteI hope your barrier works and the cats understand! Let me know as I have trouble with destructive squirrels. Nothing's worked so far, but I never thought of written signs :)
ReplyDeleteWell, so far so good! I haven't seen any cats or indications of feline activity in the newly planted area! One cat was seen hovering near the chili plant in another area of the garden, so I need to put some sticks or something around those plants. Not sure if caution tape will work with squirrels, but, you could try! I don't have to worry about squirrels because the cats tend to keep them away! I see them walking along the back wall, however. Last year, one rather unwary squirrel met with an unnatural end in the back yard; I didn't see who did it, although I have my suspicions.
DeleteReading through the comments, I see your efforts have worked thus far and that's good.
ReplyDeleteThe other day I had a rabbit digging right beside my patio what appeared to be a nest apparently to have it's babies.
I was surprised because it's so out in the open. It was fascinating to watch but then I thought, enough with the nature channel - the rabbit needs to pick a safer area tucked away in one of the many hedges and sheltered places around the neighborhood.
So once she scooted off I went out and blocked it off laying a piece of chicken wire over the entire area and a couple other large heavier things on top of the chicken wire. It was amazing though to look at closeup. In a matter of maybe an hour she had dug a deep burrowed-out tunnel style hole inside of the large dug out round nesting area. I guess the babies were going to be safe down inside the hole until they matured.
M saw my caution tape today and laughed. But, so far, it seems to have kept the cats away! At least, I haven't seen any evidence of them having been in the planting bed!
DeleteOh, how interesting to watch the rabbit dig her burrow! Good old chicken wire! I need to get another roll of it, myself!