Sneaking Next Door..-

My next door neighbour is an avid veggie gardener as well.. it's great to have a gardening buddy next door - not only do we raid each other's gardens, but we also share seed orders and split seed packs! In the past, she has also had deer problems.. they typically go from my backyard down to her front yard, taking their time to nibble on anything not securely fenced in.. this year, she's gotten serious about keeping out the deer! In the winter, this HUGE net (about 12-feet tall!) surrounded their outdoor hockey rink (so Canadian!), but in the summer, it's become her deer net.. so far, it's been extremely effective.. not sure the neighbourhood loves it, but who cares - it keeps out the deer!

This year, she has planted mostly peas, carrots, peppers, tomatoes and beans because that is what her children like to eat.. it's so nice to look over and see the kids in the garden munching on peas or pulling and rinsing carrots to eat.. she seems to be getting a high number of 'forked' carrots though, likely from her rocky soil.. the kids think they're cool though!

We both grow a wide variety of heirloom and hybrid tomatoes - these are her treasured Sungold's (check out my archived posts for info on the super sweet Sungold tomato). In just a week or two, the first ones should be ripe! Because of last week's wet weather, blight is starting to affect many tomatoes in the Maritimes.. take a good look at your plants to check for any yellowing, spotted leaves - these will usually be at the bottom of the plant. If you notice any, remove the leaves and apply a mulch to the soil surface.. shredded leaves or straw (not seeded!) is a good choice.. remember to plant in a different location next year and leave room between plants for air circulation.. hard to do, I know, but it's important!

Here's a shot of her broccoli and carrots.. nice planting partners!

Happy Gardening!