The summer garden has been put through the wringer. Last week we experienced heavy rain and hail at our home, which destroyed all of the peppers, tomatoes, cucumber and broccoli plants. The hydroponics kit was out on the patio as well when this storm happened so the cocoa mulch and herb seedlings overflowed and spilled out onto the patio.
Survivors included the zucchini seedlings, potatoes and early spring crops.
The weekend following the storm, I planned on going out and purchasing replacement plants from Stauffers of Kissel Hill Garden Centers. It was raining and on that Saturday morning I sipped my cup of coffee and sized up the backyard when I noticed…a spotted dog, digging furiously to get underneath my tater tower.
I went outside to look at what she was trying to dig out. Perhaps a rabbit? She had killed a bunny most recently and gifted it to me on the back steps.
For fear it was a bite-y creature, I stuck a stick under the tower and banged it around and hoped a rabbit/groundhog/mole/vole/anything that isn’t a snake would bounce out. Alas, nothing emerged.
The pup and I went inside. Later, Pepper needed to escape the vacuum cleaner and begged to be let outdoors. After a bit I again looked outside and saw her at the tater tower… but this time she was in it! Her speckled tail waving furiously as the dirt flew behind her. I screamed out to her, “HEY!” She stopped the digging. Then I proceeded to explain that she was “killing me” and asked, “Are you nuts?”. She didn’t have much response. It seemed to me, she thought that if she couldn’t get the animal she smelled from beside the tower, she’d go in from the top.
Let’s not forget that the potato tower was wrapped in chicken wire to keep animals out. Now the wire was bent and ripped out due to her jumping in and on top of it, as well as scrambling out. Oy Veh! It’s almost like Hurricane Pepper all over again.
I buried the potatoes back in the ground. I have no idea if they’ll live. *sigh*
Later at the garden center I picked up 1 Roma Tomato, 1 Grafted Roma-style Tomato I think it’s a moscato. I’ll be curious to see the difference. 2 – Cherry 100 tomatoes, 1 – Italian Long Pepper, 1 – Bell pepper, 1 – Jalapeno Pepper, 6 – Marigolds, 1 – cucumber and herbs.
Though I bought all of this I found out I couldn’t plant any of it. The following 3 nights were dipping into the 30s. Since the herbs were in containers I could just move them in and out each day.
Do you see my rescue basil in there? It’s pretty happy! There’s basil, rosemary, oregano, mint and thyme.
Unfortunately the zucchini’s didn’t survive the frosty evenings and they also died. This next week I’ll be headed to the garden center again for more plants. 
I’m attributing all this craziness to a Mother’s Day curse. It is said that one should wait to plant until after Mother’s Day. I put eveything in about 5 days too early and therefore was jinxed! 😛
Check back next week when we plant again! Here’s hoping this round lives…
Until then, beware the spotted dog and the Mother’s Day curse!
Bad Girl Pepper
Kim's Veggie Garden 