Deer Deterent

I like seeing deer walk through my yard. I like watching them. I wonder what they hear when their heads pop up and look around. Are we really that loud inside the house that we 'startle' the deer? Probably, but that's a whole different story.

Sorry for the bad picture, but it was overcast, snow on the ground, raining and the deer was in the tree row.... Back to my original story, kind of.  I also like getting magazines in the mail. I really like certain magazines. I grew up with Southern Living. I absolutely LOVE the old Southern Living magazines. I still like the ones today, but the ones from when I was growing up absolutely thrill me. I use Southern Living for recipes, decorating ideas and just plain old dreaming.  Currently, one of my favorite magazines is Mother Earth News. I love the gardening, the recipes, the DIY stories and admire those who can survive on their homestead. (No, I have nowhere near this type of dedication and I love going to town!)

I have done a few things that I have read about in this magazine. One, that works, is a way to keep deer out of your garden and away from your trees.

Basically, what you do is string clear fishing line around your garden and or trees. I knew the deer would walk right over the knee-high fence surrounding my garden. I knew this because I have found them IN the garden and I have also seen their little and not so little hoof prints in the garden.  So, I took some posts we used for electric fencing on our old place and placed them around the garden. Then I strung the fishing line around the posts. I made it pretty taut so that the deer would feel some tension when they bump into it.

The idea is that the deer bump into the fishing line. They cannot see it. So, they go around. They will not jump over it because they do not know how high it is. It worked. The deer tracks in the garden disappeared immediately!

I also planted some fruit trees and placed the fishing line around these too. I know from past experience that deer LOVE fruit leaves in the following order...Apple, Cherry, Peach and then Pecan! My poor trees...

When I put the fishing line around these trees, I also strung a string about 18-24 inches off the ground. This will deter the fawns from getting too interested in the trees too.

About a month ago, a group of about 10 deer wandered from the tree row through the yard to the pasture. One of the last deer walked right up to a fruit tree. However, before he reached it, he walked into something unseen. No freaking out, bumped it a couple of times, until he was able to go around with no obstruction. IT WORKS!

Here is my sad little apple sapling with two of the posts and the two lines.

Happy Deer Watching!

Spring and Fruit Trees

Wow! Has it really been this long since I posted? It has. Like many of you, I have had too many things on my plate and writing has been pushed to the back burner.

It's early May and surprisingly, Spring chose to show up here in March! Last year we had two snowstorms in mid-April that left nearly 18" of snow on the ground and a chill in the air stuck around well into June. But this year has been remarkably warm!

What that does is make all of us who like to garden get the itch to put stuff in dirt. However, we know better. It's like a well, worn, war veteran who is regaling battle stories. Gardeners who have lost many a garden to a late freeze. It starts innocently enough. Usually you break down when you are in town and buy a flat of flowers and veggies on freakishly hot spring day. I mean, you broke out the capris and flip flops, painted your toes. So, yes, it "should" be warm enough to plant a few things. You rush home, plant them, water them and love them like your own children.  Then one morning you wake up, notice a slight chill in the house, your husband is putting on a jacket before he leaves and you rush to the thermometer and pray that it is well above that dreaded number of 32.  You can't bear the thought of going outside and looking at your 'babies'. The questions start "Why?", "Was it supposed to do that?", "WHEN are the weather forecasters going to get it right?"

When you do go out, it is heart-breaking. The wilting, the shriveled leaves, the look of defeat shown by each plant...

But, not so much this year. I have not bought much this year because in the back of my mind, I know it can still happen. But it so hard not to plant when it has been as warm as it has. But I have gotten to plant a few things. I bought some Vidalia Onions (I know, not truly Vidalia's unless grown in certain conditions with certain characteristics--But I'm a Georgia girl and was tickled to find them in the north central plains!). My husband built me a Potato Box that I found on Pinterest. We will see if it produces the amount of potatoes the web page claimed....If not, then it will become a new compost box!

And my favorite planting of the season? Fruit Trees! WOOHOO! I was so excited! Last year I purchased a peach tree and cherry tree on "clearance". Trust me, they were CHEAP! When the cherry tree leafed out, it was about 6" off the ground. Perfect height for the dreaded grasshoppers to eat. And they did. That little tree kept popping out leaves (only at 6" off the ground) and the grasshoppers kept having dessert. So, it quit trying. The replacement tree showed up a couple of weeks ago and I promptly put it in the ground and said a little prayer for leaves at the top of the tree. Then my three apple trees arrived! I about cried. These are great looking trees from Stark Brothers. I picked out a spot for these guys and they are firmly planted in the ground.

Each night after my run, I cool off walking through my "orchard". To my delight, every tree has little leaves popping out and even a couple of little blooms on the peach and cherry trees! I felt like I had won the lottery! And, of course, in the back of my mind, is that thought of "...is it going to frost tonight?"

We will see.  Happy Spring, everyone!