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Mike, I do have lots of daffodils (but very few tulips) since the deer and small critters don't eat daffodils or their bulbs. Cayenne pepper has not deterred them from the bird seed in winter or other small seedlings in summer. Last summer a (or several?) chipmunk picked most all of my cherry tomatoes on the deck. It then peeled the tomato, left the peels in another pot, sat there and ate the tomato, not 5 feet away from where I was sitting. Now, my husband has made a wire cage, with 1/2" holes, to go over the cherry tomato pot and plant; he is still figuring out the top for it so I can easily remove it to reach down inside to pick the tomatoes. I will try to find my photo of the pot full of peels and post it later. No critters seem to bother the salad or paste tomatoes I have put in the in-ground garden in the back yard. I'm able to plant them outside the electric fence, as a sort of "first line of defense" against raiding varmints.
Tonight we grilled ribs and had leftover salads.
I made two loaves of Harvest Grain bread.
About 18 years ago, I became desperate to get rid of the chipmunks living in our stone walls, stone steps, stone everything and eating my veggies, bulbs, etc. I filled a 5 gallon bucket about 2/3 full of water, added a wood slat for a ramp up the outside (just as Len described!), and tossed in 5-6 sunflower seeds. One day my 6 year old grand-daughter was visiting and asked why I had the bucket of water sitting in the middle of the flowerbed. I replied, not wanting to give out too much information, "It's for the chipmunks." Her response was "Oh, I didn't know chipmunks could swim." I dropped the conversation at that point. They don't swim. And they can't climb straight-up wet, slippery bucket walls. They drown. But they love sunflower seeds. Once we got the population down a bit, our cat managed the rest of them pretty well.
We grilled salmon and had it with broccoli salad and wild rice.
BLTs here.
We cooked pork chops and potatoes on the grill, and also had asparagus and a tossed salad.
Mike, you're right to look for a "good" place for catnip! It can be invasive. I've been pulling it up for 3 years since our cat passed, and it's still coming up.
That all sounds very promising BakerAunt! Fun cooking and eating later this summer. I love gardening experiments. I have snow peas and cukes plant seeds growing in hanging baskets off the deck. So far, they're looking healthy. In the deck planters, green beans looking good, about 6" tall now. Beets and 2nd planting of bok choi and Little Gem lettuce just sprouting. The "old" lettuce and spinach is still producing well. The cherry tomato has blossoms, and I am plotting ways to stop Chippy from devouring them. In the main garden, with the electric fence, we have 6 Early Girl tomatoes (Celebrity, which is my go-to, is sold out in this area) and 6 Amish paste tomatoes, 6 each bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, plus 4 hills each of summer squash, zucchini, Delicata, Spaghetti, Butternut and Buttercup squash. The bobcat was back in the yard this morning; thankfully, I believe he is carnivorous. My blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are loaded with blossoms and/or young fruit. Only two of our three apple trees had blossoms, which is still better than last year after the 17* frost on May 24. Today it was 85* and we watered everything.
We had egg salad sandwiches and barbeque flavored potato chips tonight. It's part of our "quick meal" dinner rotation.
Today made a new recipe for "Cowboy Cookies", which includes oatmeal, coconut, pecans (I used walnuts), and chocolate chips. They are just OK, but not great. I think the chocolate overwhelms the flavors of the coconut and nuts. I'm sure my husband will love them! But I'll not be making them again - there are too many great cookies recipes waiting to be made.
Pizza here!
I marinated chicken thighs which my husband cooked on the grill along with roasting potatoes. We also had the last of the garden's asparagus and a green salad with lettuce and spinach from a planter on the deck. Today I planted Early Girl and Amish paste tomatoes in the garden.
Tonight we had baked haddock, ramen noodles, and asparagus.
That looks so yummy, Joan. Carrot cake is my favorite.
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