In a short burst of mild, sunny weather this morning I rammed on my wellies and headed out on to the croft. It’s well overdue time to prepare the raised beds for the seasons growing, and I’ve been waiting for a break in the storms for weeks.
The deer have been terrible this winter. They’ve eaten everything that was left in the beds, which I stupidly didn’t net for protection. Actually, the nets wouldn’t have survived the storms anyway.
Roll on next year when we will have time to deer fence the croft. I think it’s the only way.
These are the remains of a couple of my perennial Taunton Deane kale plants. There’s basically nothing left of them, and I think that the damage is so severe that they won’t re-grow. The deer have even eaten rhubarb, spiky artichoke leaves and garlic, all things that they’re not supposed to like! It’s soul destroying after such a productive year of cropping from them.
However, despite the deer damage there are tentative, wonderful signs of spring.
The mint has started to re-grow.
The berry cuttings are starting to break into bud.
We have the first signs of rhubarb leaves pushing up through the soil like wrinkled red aliens.
I managed to weed a couple of the raised beds and get some red onion sets in before my back started to complain and I decided to beat a tactical retreat. I must remember to take it slowly at the beginning of the season, otherwise I’ll seize up after a whole winter of inactivity. And cake.
Gardening is a marathon, not a sprint. but it felt so good to be out there again.
Ravencroft Skye 
Oh, my goodness! I totally understand the battle of the deer! (and groundhogs… and racoons…) After last year’s losses, we’re planning to put up some temporary fencing around our garden areas this year. When we build our permanent garden beds, we’ll be sure to include critter protection. It’s so devastating to loose the fruits of your labour, and food for your family, to wildlife. But they need to eat, too! So we’re also thinking of planting forage seeds, well away from the house, so they have less reason to eat our plants.
I’m amazed they ate your garlic!
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These deer seem to eat just about everything! Garlic!
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I have zero experience of deer but maybe an electric fence?
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I fear it would be too expensive. It’s a 6 acre croft
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I guess the deer must have been starving to eat such unpromising things but it is a great shame for you after all your hard work. I have no idea how best to protect your crops – there were deer in the woods here when we first arrived but the only stag died and none of the pregnant females produced another so the herd died out. In some ways I was sad but it did mean less damage to our veg garden!
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Yikes. Rabbits are driving us crazy… I can’t imagine having to contend with deers.
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They’re just as numerous and can eat even more in one bite! 😳
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