Joe v. The Future

Spring gardening is all about the future. You plant tiny little seeds in the hopes that they grow into a bountiful harvest months later. That’s the optimistic view at least.

Despite some pretty wet weather we’ve been making our preparations for the last couple of weeks. This year, I have decided to build raised beds in our old parking space in order to make room for more vegetables. It was a muddy struggle to build the first one in the rain last weekend, but I’m pretty happy with my handiwork such as it is.

The optimist in me can’t wait for all those wonderful tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, peas, etc. The pessimist in me knows that it is just a matter of time before my beautiful garden is beset by pests. I will soon be battling slugs, aphids, and various other tiny enemies, not to mention the birds, raccoons, and my nemesis the squirrel as they all feast on my hard work.

Any suggestions on how to head them off at the pass are much appreciated.

Joe v. What?

Despite my current obsession with squirrels (and the name of this blog) this blog is actually supposed to be about my struggles against all kinds of urban wildlife — and, indeed, all the other obstacles of life. Squirrels are just a metaphor. Get it?

Anyway, in the spirit of this diversity of purpose, I bring you a mystery. Something has been digging up the turf around the side of our house. I put this turf here last spring when I dug up part of the lawn to put in a patio and walkway. Most of the turf took really nicely and covered a patch of mostly weeds, but the grass closest to the house has not taken. Since I put it in, this turf has been turned over on a fairly regular basis. Now this could be more squirrel activity (SQUIRRELS!!) as they may be digging up nuts that they have hidden for later. Or it could be raccoons, skunks, or something else that likes eating the roots of the turf or the worms and other creepy crawlies beneath the surface. 

Here’s a picture. Let me know if you have any theories of what is causing this damage and what I can do to prevent it.

mystery pest