Still in the Garden! Despite the Pests

Wow! Where has the time gone? My last post was December 20, 2022. Let us begin again ...

Rouse the Spouse got more interested in the garden as he settled into retirement. He had ideas and I was ready to get rid of the heavy lifting of gardening. We've settled into our own roles. I make my requests for favorite crops during planting season, then take charge of the picking / processing. Hubby acts as the Plant Manger and does everything else!

We have had some challenges in the garden the past couple of years:

• Rascal-ly Rabbits - Our 3rd year without a crop of green beans, and it's not from lack of planting! 
• Squash Bugs - They're relentless! We have given up on summer squash.
• The voles and/or moles decimated our potato crops in '24 and '25. We didn't even try this year.
• The birds finally found the blueberries a few years ago. We installed bird netting, which successfully took care of the avian looting. The down side ... we accidentally killed a couple of snakes that got ensnared in the net. Then, in 2025, the bushes were in need of pruning. The agriculture extension agent told Rouse, "Cut them back." He did... to the ground... no fruit last year, and a minimal amount this year. Looking forward to next year!

After years of raising successful pepper plants, last year was pretty much a bust. Not sure why. This year, we had a good crop of banana and anaheim peppers. I stuffed the banana peppers with our favorite ground meat and cheese mixture then popped them into the freezer for future meals. I roasted, chopped, and froze the anaheim peppers in 1/4 cup blops for a supply of home-grown green chiles for Mexi-inspired dishes. The poblano peppers were a disappointment this year. Smaller and much hotter than expected.

The pink-eyed purple-hulled peas did well. We enjoyed several "messes" of those delicious beans. Rouse had to do all the shelling, as my deteriorating thumb joints can't take it any longer.

Our most successful crop this summer was not planted by us at all. Evidently, our compost was full of goodness. Specifically, seeds of the Cucurbita family (squashes and pumpkins) germinated and

ran all over the garden space. We ended up with a dozen delicata squash, 11 good-sized butternut squash, one pie pumpkin, five small unidentified pumpkins with pointy tops, and a bunch of gourds.

Also, a watermelon and a canteloupe!

We are looking forward to our winter garden. Very few pests to deal with during cold season. Collards, kale and other favored greens, salad turnips, radishes, carrots etc will be in the ground this month. Maybe some garlic later in the fall. Come winter, we'll install light-weight fabric row covers for solar boost and added protection. Year round gardening is a plus in central NC!