News from the Veggie Gardens

Welcome to our Tuesday Veggie Garden tour. There is lots going on in the Veggie World. Mom is amazed we are still getting fresh asparagus. Normally it is a spring perennial for us. It comes up shortly after the snow melts and starts to turn into ferns just as it warms up in May. However, here we are in June and Dog Dad is still finding new stalks sprouting. The parents are thrilled, as they love grilled asparagus.

So far, the tomatoes have been loving this wet rainy spring. We were afraid we might have plant rot, but so far there seems to have been enough dry days in between the wet ones that the plants are holding on and thriving.

Mom was sick over the weekend so she hadn't gone out to check on the veggie's progress. She was amazed at how big the zucchini plants had grown. Let me tell you guys in a month, you lose a ball in there and it will be fall before you see it again. What the zucchini takes it keeps.

Next, we have Katy's gardening tip of the week. The parents really don't mean do whatever is necessary to keep the garden's safe. We take our critter patrols seriously. However, Dog Dad made it very clear after I killed a lettuce, OK a couple of lettuce plants this weekend in pursuit of a squirrel that it wasn't OK to kill a plant while protecting it. I am not allowed to jump in the gardens even in hot pursuit of a critter. So, let that be a lesson to all of you eager gardeners doing your best to protect the produce. If you kill it while trying to protect it, they won't thank you. They won’t see the heroic effort you made in chasing off the varmint. All they will notice are the dead plants you killed while trying to defend them.

Garden Update

We can't believe it is June already. The weather has been good to the tomatoes and they are adjusting to their cages. We helped Mom with the weeding over the weekend. Mom was surprised that even with all the tropical weather, the weeds were minimal this first week.

Dog Dad only used to use newspaper wraps for the tomatoes. However, with the funky weather and the extra critter and bug attacks last year, he decided to experiment and use them on some of the other plants to give them a starting chance. He is pleased by the process and has seen stronger than he had last year.

Dog Dad added spinach and more lettuce to the back gardens this week. Mom remarked that the spinach looks remarkably like the weed grass we generally remove from the garden. We've never tried growing spinach before so it is a whole new area we are exploring this year.

They've been cooking and using spinach more in salads these days, so it seemed like a logical choice to add to the gardens. Along with squirrels, we noticed more chipmunk activity in the backyard since the gardens have been planted. We scared one into jumping into a tree. We are inspiring new heights in squirrel and chipmunk gymnastics.

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This Garden Thing Has its Moments

Mom and Dad spend more time outdoors. This weekend Mom and Dad were actually on the garden swing. OK they forgot to bring the cushions out and I ended up in Mom's lap instead of sitting on my favorite comfy spot. However, despite the heat they are still outside with us.

Dad is excited because he had enough veggies to make a salad. He had cucumber, lettuce, zucchini, green onions, and peppers. The tomatoes are still green, but he was happy with the harvest. He has an eggplant close to done and Mom is thinking parmesan. What does this have to do with us? Well as Mom always tells us, happy well fed parents make for happy Shelties. When they are eating healthy, they have more energy for playing with us and you know it is all about us.

No additional critter incursions to add to my weekend report. Katy and I have been vocal this weekend. I suspect that has helped keep down the visits. Human activity also makes them less likely to wander in and attack the plants.