It's A Cover Up...

I love bunnies, (I really do) and when we first moved out to the countryside I embraced my garden full of wild floppy-eared friends. What's not to love, right? Every time they came to nibble on the grass, I'd call Nicole and she'd stand there, looking out of the window, jumping about, doing her best rabbit impression...very cute.  My opinion of them changed however the SECOND I started growing my own.

Before I even contemplated planting my first seed I set about discovering different ways to protect my little green babies. I was feeling very uninspired and a little downbeat at the thought of growing so many yummy veggies, only to have the whole crop devoured by my buck tooth visitors. Even if the bunnies stayed clear I still have the birds to consider...and in our garden we have a whole little bird world going on...something I certainly wouldn't want to change!

So yesterday, me and little bear put on our welly boots and went to visit my gorgeous friend Nick. 

Nick's been growing her own produce for years now and has given me so much advice along the way, (along with a whole heap of seedlings and plants).  She took me down to her allotment to give me a few ideas on how to cover and protect all the goodies.

 
Now, as a novice I didn't have a clue where to start with covering. I just assumed that all the old school pros used some hi-tech secret gadgets that simply weren't available to a newbie like me.  I was pleasantly surprised at the simplicity of the methods, and how effective they seemed to be.

Basically, the running theme throughout the allotment was this:


1, Take some wood of varying length
2, Wrap green netting around said wood
3, Place over veggies
4, Stick your tongue out at the bunnies and birds in a very childish manner


Simples! Suddenly this whole thing didn't seem quite so scary.  The rules are...there are no rules. As a lot of people have told me, it's all about trial and error. You make a mistake, you learn by it, and you don't do it again.  Once you get that into your head, you are pretty much rocking and rolling.


So, I made a ton of progress yesterday. Once I got home I decided to tackle more of the weeds. Nicole LOVED helping me do this. Some may call it child labour, but the way I see it is she's WAY closer to the ground than me so it's a lot easier for her to do!  Talking of which, I have in the past had two horrible back operations, so a kneeling mat and good posture is vital. Sorry to sound like your mother but NOTHING is worth another week in hospital!


I now have two raised beds up and running and bought two more to put down over the weekend.  It's going to get to the point where the hubby will have to physically restrain me from covering the whole garden with raised beds. I'm like a woman possessed, but once you get going it becomes so addictive.

Getting there slowly but surely!

Today is all about growing in pots. I'm talking tomato and chili plants, blueberries and gooseberries...Can't wait to show you the pics tomorrow!


Can I also take this opportunity to thank all of you for your words of support and encouragement.  The enthusiasm from you lot is inspiring and your help and advice are just incredible. Have a scroll through some of the many comments. You might find the answer to all your veggie related problems x x x