March 16, 2019
I lifted a piece of plywood covering a pile of sticks that I was going to burn in the garden, and the cutest little bunny hopped out. It sat there blinking it's eyes in the morning sun as if it had been asleep. I checked under the branches and found a circle of dried grass scrunched down like a bowl. Bunny sleepovers are to be discouraged so I moved the burn pile and googled what bait would attract them. Spraying the inside of the trap with apple cider vinegar was recommended as it would not only attract rabbits by it's smell but also cover up the scent of humans. Using pieces of apple, Brussels sprouts, carrots or lettuce would get them in the trap if a trail of small pieces led through the opening and to the main bait..
What I didn't find out is what to do with it when I trap it. The older I get the less willing I am to end a creatures life. I actually had to stop and decide whether to step on a slug that was 10' outside the garden because I know that they play an important role in any ecological system that supports them. I left him alone. Slugs are more beneficial to our planet than we are..
March 17, 2019
Well you were right Jason. The asparagus is showing new spears. He thought that since we had such a warm winter that they might come up early. I had my doubts because the roots are a foot deep, and I didn't think they would know about surface temperature. It will be fun to see what else comes early this year. Wild flowers will probably bloom earlier..
A patch of flowering weeds in my garden was being fought over by two pollinating wasps, reminding me to let the flowers run through their cycle before pulling them up. There are very few flowers this time of year, and the early pollinators need them to survive until the abundance unfolds. The carrot slices leading up to my rabbit trap were missing so i replaced them in the morning. By afternoon they were gone again. Did you know birds eat carrots?..
March 18, 2019
Saw a hummingbird, bumblebee, ladybug and a blue bottle fly today. I toad y'all it was spring. The poppies are coming up all over the garden as usual, and as usual, I'm letting most of them remain. They only gotta go if they shade or crowd some veggies. The same goes for the Love in a Mist, and between the two of them my garden will look like I designed it. Nature's whimsical distribution is a work of art that I don't take credit for. I marvel at how every year the garden has a different look but the same feel..
Flowers in the vegetable garden is not as common as it should be. They attract pollinators that can increase your yields by 20%. They also attract parasitic wasps that help clean up the plant adversaries. They make you slow down and admire their colors. They are "eye candy" that improve your disposition by moving your awareness away from yourself..
