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So I’m a happy little camper this morning .. got everything done yesterday on my to-do list & all I have to do today is grocery shop, do some food prep & mow. Gorgeous day outside, too.

Stepped out on the back patio & there is a line of ants streaming across. No problem. I have Ortho Home Defense that I got for the boxelder bugs earlier this spring - works on ants. On to the raised beds/shop.

What in the world?? Both of my wash tubs were totally dug up, the flowers off to the side. Probably the raccoon I had mercy on the other day. I used Expert Gardener potting soil, added some fertilizer (not bone meal) for flowers, same brand. The animal must have smelled it & gone digging. The flowers were ‘ok’, root balls intact, not wilted. I replanted & watered them in. Hopefully they will be ok. If the tubs get dug out again, I’ll bring the trap up & set it at the tubs ... or maybe I won’t wait & will set the trap at the wash tubs tonight.

All other raised beds are undisturbed. I checked the lavenders because I did use bone meal (planting instructions said give each plant a teaspoon). Knowing your tomatoes got dug up, I put the bone meal in the bottom of each 8” hole & mixed it with about a cup of dirt, then put in the plant & filled the hole. The lavenders are undisturbed this morning.

The only time I had trouble with something getting dug up was when I used blood meal.

Something uprooted most of my baby onions. I salvaged a bunch of them and replanted, but it definitely cut into what I harvested.

This year I prepped the bed a week or so before planting the onions and the soil was undisturbed, so I went ahead and put them in.

So far almost all of them took. Lord willing, I’ll have a good harvest this year.

Two things have been helping me with the raccoon - taking in the suet cage every night and I parked my car between the garden and the bird feeding ‘station.’

I’m sure I’m just fooling myself, but I haven’t had any digging for a week, now. There IS more food in the wold for raccoons to find, now. Beau said they were bothering my garden due to that.

We shall see. I might be Granny Clampet sitting on the porch in her rocker at night with a load of buckshot at the ready! Maybe I’ll strike OIL?!?! I’ll for SURE shoot the windows out of my car, so I’d better move it, LOL!

Garden is watered - I could hear them SIGHING in relief! I picked about a quart of strawberries. I’m running errands tomorrow so will stop at the Berry Patch that opens tomorrow and pick up a flat. I want to make Strawberry Freezer Jam in the worst way, now that I’ve tasted those fresh berries of my own!

Best and Easiest Strawberry Jam

https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/strawberry-freezer-jam/

Glad for you.

I didn't really get anything accomplished. After getting sidetracked with the mattress/bed thing, it was almost noon before I started working on the car. Got it mostly apart and found out I needed an 18mm socket in 1/2" drive. Broke my 3/8" to 1/2" adapter trying to use my 18mm - 3/8" socket. Nonsensical too because there's two different sized bolts holding a bracket that's basically symmetrical(except for one hole probably being bigger). Little over an hour into and had to put it back together and run two towns away to the auto parts store for a socket.

Well when you drive two towns over, you might was well shop the stores there because it could save you from making a special trip later. Country Living. Got a few things from the little Walmart. Grocery store was a bust.

So there went the second half of the day. I own a new 18mm socket and did get to sleep on a better mattress last night so that's something.

Just did a garden check. Cilantro really doesn't like being dry but bounces back with new leaves which I found interesting. I think I taste tested a leaf from stressed cilantro a few days ago which is why it didn't taste great.

You can see the new growth and an old stressed stem/leaf laying in the dirt on the right.

Got something new bugging my Tatsoi. It was cabbage worms last Fall but I don't know what this is. I've looked all over the plants and see no bugs or bug eggs. No worms of course either. I haven't looked at night with a flashlight.

What it be Dianna? Flea Beetles that I just haven't' seen is what I'm thinking.

Other than that, my one bed of mixed plants is doing good. Got a few baby Rutgers maters.

Including some picture perfect Salanova. Evidently it really likes goat manure. It's 8-10 inches in diameter so I can have salad any time now. It's one of three. Only had four seeds left this year.

I have another bed ready to go so I guess I should stick a few heat lovers in there. Got some white scalloped summer squash and baby watermelons. Small enough fruit to grow on a trellis. Got cukes and pole/bush beans too.