The kitchen garden.

Back in September 2008 we decided to make better use of our side garden and create a kitchen garden full of herbs and a little of every thing that is grown elsewhere. The sort of things that you need quickly - a cucumber, handful of radishes, a few tomatoes, freshly cut herbs etc.

The existing garden is bordered on one side by the acequia, two sides are beds of oleanders, roses, geraniums and bedding plants and the far end is fenced to stop the dogs disappearing into the blue yonder.  We dug and manured the middle and made 3 raised beds using the outside of pallets for a frame, each  is about 7 metres by 1 metre with paths up the middle.

In the Spring of 2009  we planted cucumbers, tomatoes, french beans, and lots of coriander, parsley and rocket.  Then Pip arrived through a hole in the wall and took up residence -  despite being taken home numerous times she decided she wanted to stay here. Not a problem until the cucumbers started to grow and then she realised they were tasty, and so were the tomatoes.  Green or red ones - no problem.  We put up fencing but she took the vegetables very carefully through the fence without damaging the plants and ate what she could reach.

Last summer we re-fenced, planted the beds with red and white cabbages and brussel sprouts  and also covered the beds with pea net to stop the cabbage white butterfly getting in.  The caterpillars can eat a plant in about a day!  All has been well - Pip proof we thought,  until a few days ago when for some reason she launched herself into the red cabbage bed and got tangled in the pea netting.  As you can imagine I wasn't best pleased although none of the cabbages were damaged.

So we've had a re-think and over the past 3 days John has been putting up a permanent fence round the whole patch with a gate so we can get in but she can't.  And for some reason she doesn't seem bothered - she's not shown any sign of trying to get in.  While he's been fencing, I've been moving self seeded herbs into a bed - rocket and coriander in one and fennel along the edge.  Plus rooting out tough weeds that have found their way up through the hard packed pathways. 

Let's hope it won't need doing again.  The fence is strong and she can't get through but........time will tell.