DH about to give up on gardening...

[SparklyUnicorn]

At the community plot anyway.  They've had an animal problem for oh gee three years now.  Some kind of ground hog or gopher or whatever it is.  He's tried all kinds of things and it's not working.  He wrote to the garden folks and basically said if there is nothing that can be done then he is done. 

 

I'm sad it has come to this because he really wants to garden, but I'm not sad because everything keeps getting eaten which is a total waste of time, money, and energy.  I'm so annoyed that I refuse to even go there anymore.  I hate gardening as it is, but I see no point in breaking my back over gardening when nothing comes of it.

 

 

 

 

[maize]

What kind of gardening space do you have at home?

 

We tried a community plot for a couple of years and it was really more hassle than it was worth.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Our yard is pretty small, but overall at least as much space as the community plot.  We do grow stuff in our yard too.  I think his main hesitation is if he used the yard for gardening entirely we'd have zero yard, but we don't really use it anyway and we have a deck so I'm ok with it.  I too think it is a hassle to have to drive to the community garden.  It's also not free.  It wouldn't cost us extra to use our yard.

 

 

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

We originally got the community plot when we had no yard at all.  We do have a yard now. 

 

 

[IfIOnly]

Is your gardening space a raised bed? I have to put hardware cloth under my beds because we have burrowing critters to deal with. Maybe they'll let you pay some down next year? It isn't cheap though. :( I'm sorry about the gardening woes. Gardening is one of my favorite things, gets me outside, and is so theraputic for me. I would be so sad to have to give up a plot.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Is your gardening space a raised bed? I have to put hardware cloth under my beds because we have burrowing critters to deal with. Maybe they'll let you pay some down next year? It isn't cheap though. :( I'm sorry about the gardening woes. Gardening is one of my favorite things, gets me outside, and is so theraputic for me. I would be so sad to have to give up a plot.

 

I don't think that would do anything.  It attacks anything above ground. 

[MomsintheGarden]

That sounds like a wise decision.  Since you have a yard now, he can probably figure out how to grow a lot of food in that small space.  He could even put pots of stuff on your deck.  Commuting to a garden plot sounds like a pain in the first place, and having to put up with groundhogs eating everything would be unbearable.

[Critterfixer]

I say let the man have the yard for his garden and promise to cheer him on from the deck, where you can sit comfortably in your chair and watch. :D

[SparklyUnicorn]

I say let the man have the yard for his garden and promise to cheer him on from the deck, where you can sit comfortably in your chair and watch. :D

 

I keep trying to get him to use the yard.

 

Paying that animal to bother him is barely doing it.... :lol:

[Critterfixer]

 

I keep trying to get him to use the yard.

 

Maybe pay some kids to tromp over his plot and compact the soil? :laugh:  Garden yards are coolness.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Maybe pay some kids to tromp over his plot and compact the soil? :laugh:  Garden yards are coolness.

 

Maybe I need to pay off a bigger animal.  Like a bear.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Its been a tough year here too. The dryness seems to encourage the critters to eat the leaves as soon as they appear. I had my only green bean plant that grew more than two leaves before being eaten lose all its leaves to a nibbler overnight this week. Apparently the tomato leaves arent as tasty, it only ate one.

 

That's a bummer.

[KungFuPanda]

I'm beginning to think gardening is an exercise in humility and submission to nature. I'm only on year 3 of making an effort. Some things fail and some grow without trying and it's not the same things every year. I grew zero salad greens this year and last year I had a couple kinds. The weather was different.

 

Encourage him to take over the yard. It's NICE to have a garden and not just grass. You probably won't even hate 'helping' if you just have to step off the deck to snip some herbs or pick a tomato.

[Bluegoat]

Yeah, I'd garden at home.  You can do a lot in  a small space.

 

Community gardens are great when they offer things you can't get at home. Mentors, a social aspect, easier access to shared equipment or amendments, better soil, and so on.  And when they are pretty close.