May 25, 2015

White Dog did not even lift her head from the pillow...because she KNEW the answer to the mystery before Candace even got the chance to explain it.

A while back, early in gardening season, one of the lettuce plants went missing from the bottom row of the vertical planter. Candace found a small burrow hole coming up nearby and tunneling under the shed. We concluded the culprit was a mouse trying to homestead so we saturated the burrow with peppermint oil and tamped shut the exit way. And it seemed to work. No more missing produce and no more burrows; the peppermint did as promised and chased the mouse away.

With all of the rain we have received, the garden is growing lush. It is Candace's pride and joy. She was been guarding the first slowly ripening cherry tomato in anticipation that it will be juicy luscious red by the week's end; and the lettuces were leafy invitations to make salad..

Today when she came in, she did not look happy. "Either our rodent problem has returned," she started, "or we have a lettuce thief of bigger proportions." She looked pointedly at Baby Zsofia calmly nibbling her stuffed dragon in the middle of the room.

ALL of the bottom row of lettuce plants have been eaten and there is evidence based on leftover bits and a cozy depression that they were enjoyed by some pup one partaking a relaxing snack on the straw bales on top of other plants.

Every eye in the house turned to our darkest white dog, still nonchalant, but ignoring the stares. "I could swear," Candace commented, "that I saw the flash of a VERY fluffy tail jumping over the fence. You don't think she can or would hop over the garden barrier, do you?"

The White Dog Army took a long look at their sister, stifled giggles, and turned to Candace. "Oh NO!" they said in unison. Miss Z looked up and smiled.

Tomorrow's challenge for the Candace and the WDA gardening team: Sibe-proof the garden.