Mice

This is the number one pest in my garden, for some it is slugs we have those under control now but mice are the vandals in my garden.  They like to eat stalks, so they come along to my brassicas and eat the stalks and leave the leaves lying on the ground as evidence of their thieving.  Luckily for me they have not eaten all the leaves and the plants are strong enough that they will, I hope, survive.  There is nothing more desponding than going to inspect your hard work to find it all obliterated by a very small mammal.  We have set the traps once more.

I was in the garden yesterday to collect some leaves for a salad and to inspect the brassicas when I noticed how full the garden was looking.  We do have a path that winds its way up the garden, in places it is difficult to distinguish.  When you walk through you get a squawk and flapping as birds try to fly out from where they were feeding under the plants.  It is really pleasing to see that I have created a haven for them.

We are finally having a little bit of warm which is helping all my vegetables to grow.  My potatoes look nearly ready to harvest, I will need to make some time to gather them in in the next week.  My purple sprouting broccoli, white cabbage and kale have just about survived an attack from then mice. I also have a donated brassica which was given to me by a friend,  I have no idea what it is and nor did she, as she was given it too, all will be revealed in the autumn I am sure.  The leeks are finally starting to grow and will be ready to plant on soon, but I need to make some room for the. Before I can do that.  The beetroot and carrots are looking great above ground, I hope that the roots are swelling and growing too.  The turnips are also now growing and need thining as they are too cramped.  The garlic and onion are distinctly pathetic, they have either gone mouldy in the cool, damp we have had or they are the size of a sprout, I'm not holding out much hope of a decent harvest with either.

In the next few weeks I am going to sew salad leaves for over wintering in the poly tunnel.  There is not much room in there are the moment as it is full with cucumber, courgette, celery and lettuce.  I think I will start them off in seed trays and plant them out when there is room.  In the busyness of life I often neglect my garden, it does pay to think about it occassionally as you always need to think ahead.  I do keep a record of what I do in a journal, I find this useful to look back on to see what I have down in previous years.