My husband has started planting our small garden. He first had to put chicken wire around the bottom because we have a little rabbit living in our yard, with occasional visits from a larger rabbit. So far, the dog has ignored the small rabbit, although we still keep an eye on her. The small rabbit has been content to munch on our grass and the leaves of the invasive violets that are all over the yard. As long as it stays out of the garden, we will coexist.

The honey nut squash are planted, along with some seed from those large outlier squash that we got last year. It will be interesting to see how the latter hybridized. My husband also planted the first row of beans. He will wait to plant the second, so that we can have a continuous bean crop. He also planted snow peas, which sometimes do well and sometimes do not. He planted lettuce, spinach, and kale. So far, only the kale has come up. The tomato and pepper plants he started should be ready to go in soon.

I am so sorry, Chocomouse, about the blueberries! Those extreme weather swings are the worst, since the plants come out in the warm weather, then get zapped by extreme cold. I hope there is limited damage to the rest.

Two nights ago we had horrendous downpours for several hours, a total of 1.02 inches of rain. Our gutters were pretty much filled with pine needles from the winter, so the water poured over the edge of the gutter and onto the planters and pots that I had put on the deck; everything was flooded. All my un-sprouted seeds were washed away, dirt was washed out of some pots, leaving bare roots, and other pots' drainage holes were clogged so plants were floating. I spent most of today cleaning up those messes. Tomorrow I will shop for Celebrity tomatoes and replacement herbs. Then I might spend quality time in the flower beds, yelling, swearing and angrily yanking out weeds from between the clusters of columbine, peonies, and lupines. I love to weed because they don't talk back!

I'm so sorry about the rain damage, Chocomouse. Some therapeutic weeding is definitely needed.

My husband planted some heirloom irises three years ago. Three of the four kinds have bloomed before and are doing so this year. The fourth, Indian Chief, is blooming for the first time this year, and it is exquisite. As these are the tall irises, my husband has had to put some supports in to keep them from falling over.

That's a great garden, Mike.

We have a chipmunk that has taken up residence in our small garden--burrow and all. It has eaten three of the squash seed my husband planted. He is now at work on how to protect the rest and replant.

Thanks, Chocomouse and Mike. The chipmunk would wait for the seed to germinate and begin coming up, and then it would devour it. My husband has fashioned cages out of half-inch hardware cloth. We will see if that deters the little varmints. We cannot let the dog into the garden area, as she would step on the plants and dig, but perhaps she could patrol the perimeter.