"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant."
Robert Louis Stevenson




Thursday, October 20, 2011

Raccoon Update and Veggie Seedlings

Hoping this will keep the raccoons away!

Hallelujah! We finally have a solution to the raccoon  raids.  We put chicken wire on the tops of the short fences and I sewed them on with wire!!  Of course, now I can't get in them either but this was all the resources I had at the time, and I was desperate. I have replanted most of the seeds (3 times) and we are seeing new sprouts!
Bed 1, swiss chard, kale and beet
Bed 2 asst lettuce and radishes (this is the one I planted 3 times, they really wiped this bed out completely)
I am sure that more seeds will pop up where they weren't planted from all the digging the raccoons did and probably will also have seeds sprouting around the outside.  They threw so much soil out when digging that there will be seeds there too.  On a positive note, we are having wonderful warm weather to help my seedlings along.  I am hoping to have plenty of goodies for the Thanksgiving Day table.
Bed 3, Spinach, Rutabaga, Kohlrabi and Snow Peas (you can see where I reseeded, plants are smaller)



I have planted Brussel Sprouts along the bed next to the driveway. I purchased seedlings and these have been in about a month now and are doing very well.
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Anaheim, Poblano, Pimiento and asst color Bell Peppers in this bed. I am still harvesting every few days.
poblano pepper
poblano pepper
purple bell pepper
purple bell pepper
yellow bell pepper
Anaheim peppers
I have two Eggplant plants that have given me 4 eggplants so far.  I have 7 almost ready to pick and the plants are still setting flowers.  Seems late for these but they are thriving in the warmer weather we are having.
This plant has 5 just about ready for harvest


I will leave you with a few photos of my flowers blooming in the front beds.
Mexican Sunflower Torch Plant (tithonia rotundifolia)
The butterflies LOVE tithonia

Orange petite Zinnia
Cosmos (Sensation Blend)
Cosmos (Bright Lights)
 These orange and yellow cosmos are called Bright Lights and are from Botanical Interests. One of my favorite fall plants. They reseed freely (very freely) and come up each year wherever the seed landed the year before; and are a delight to see when most plants have finished blooming.  The finches love the seeds from these flowers and hang themselves almost up side down to get the seeds.  The weight of the little birds pulls down the flower and they hang there pulling out the seeds. I just love to watch them and keep plenty of these plants just for them.  They also love the lavender Cosmos for the seeds as well.
more Bright Lights next to the tithonia
Happy Autumn to all!