Bright Ideas

I have written about our need for a fence to keep the deer out. Many “urban" Ekalaka gardeners face the same problem, and even some fences don’t work. We’ll have ours tested, I’m sure.

The body of the fence had been in place over a month, maybe closer to two months. One deer meandered in one 10’ space where a gate would be placed, munching on one potato plant, while making its way out the other gate opening. Brice saw its footprints.

That may have worked once, but as of July 10, it will no longer work without an 82” leap, 6’10”. Will that keep them out? The airport has an 8’ fence that would work better.

Will we need to put deer repellent around the garden, or on the plants? What about deer poison? We try to limit spraying our garden plants as much as we can, but Brice did need spray to eliminate tiny “flea” beetles on the potatoes and other small plants.

Those sprays only work until rain washes them off; no worry about that this year. Our biggest problem, as always, is getting enough water on everything from one source, an old well. It travels slowly through yards and yards of hose to reach its destination.

After two and one half days of watering in the garden, it is changed to water the other side of the property. That means lawns, front, back, and east side, strawberry plants, flower gardens next to south side of the house. along front ramp, and three apple trees. Two trees are filled with apples; we took some off the little tree near the street so the small limbs would not be too challenged. When all thirsts are adequately quenched, the hydrating supply is switched back to the garden again.

Everything will be fine as long as the well doesn’t run dry. Only 20’ deep, it is supplied by a shallow aquifer that has worked through drought years before. I can’t remember how many years we tested it, always surprised and pleased when the pump belched forth its first water surge.

By fall, the deer population in this community may increase. Hopefully now the deer will have less to eat here.