It started with a single raised bed. Before I moved, I lived right next to downtown. There was tons of traffic and not a lot of wildlife. Then I moved to the suburbs. I’ve seen rabbits, rats, deer, and turkeys in my neighborhood. Cage 1.0 was built to protect my garden.
Cage 1.0 has spent 2 summers outside now. The PVC pipe & bird netting have held up well. The zipper door needs some repairs. That’s a project for this summer. I know the rats can chew through bird netting. Placing the cage and bed right next to the house has been key to Cage 1.0 surviving.
Then I got a second raised bed. We moved on to Cage 2.0
The wood supports and wire mesh have held up well. Cage 2.0 and the bed sit on paving stones to keep them off the dirt. It’s also not touching the back fence, in case of termites. Last summer I found scat on the roof of Cage 2.0. I don’t know if it was raccoon or possum or maybe even coyote. We have all of them in the area. Whatever it was, Cage 2.0 held up beneath it.
Obviously I don’t have a large backyard or lots of dirt to work with, but even a small garden can be fulfilling. It has certainly been my haven during the last 2 years of COVID.
This winter I planted spinach, carrots, and beets. The beets are new for me, as I’ve never planted them before. We’ll see how they go. The spinach and carrots worked last winter in Cage 1.0 next to the house. I tried planting all three in both cages this time.
I didn’t plant neat rows. I didn’t make note of exactly what I planted where. Honestly I was a bit disappointed when I was planting. I thought I was planting too late when the weather was too cold. But the seeds have started to sprout!
Gardening is like sourdough bread. Both of them are my Great Experiments!