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Friday, May 11, 2012

How to Hurley-proof a garden

Hurley loves my garden.  Last summer, he demonstrated his love by plowing through the picket fence we had around the garden beds, stealing all of the green tomatoes, mowing down most of the rest of the plants and completely destroying half of my well-constructed hastily nailed together raised beds.  I officially gave up on my garden when he started digging up the onions and playing with them.  Everything that could get harvested did and the rest just withered under Hurley's constant attention.

I considered giving up gardening this summer.  Considered.  But, I thought, let's give it one more try. 

It's not pretty but this is my Hurley-proof garden. It has been two weeks and he has yet to mess with the chicken wire.

There used to be four garden beds.  Hurley decided that four was two too many.

Chicken wire + wire trellis = Hurley-proof...for now
Even the herbs are stuck in jail

I would say that someday I will have a nice-looking garden and well-manicured lawn but I know better. Just as I will always have hair on my couch, my garden will likely always be Hurley-proofed.  But the alternative, not having Hurley, is a life I can't imagine living. 

Posted by Sarah at 12:00 AM
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12 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 11, 2012 at 7:23 AM

    It looks like you have a figured out a great way to manage Hurley in the garden.

    As you and I are both well aware, sometimes management is our best option, at least for our sanity.

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  2. JanMay 11, 2012 at 8:35 AM

    I'm sure Hurley thought you had built a playground with great tasting toys just for him.

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    1. SarahMay 11, 2012 at 5:03 PM

      Since he would always give the green tomatoes to his sisters right as I went out to catch him, I'm pretty sure he knew that the garden was NOT supposed to be his playground. But like a puppy, he didn't much care. :)

      Delete
  3. XimenaMay 11, 2012 at 10:25 AM

    Elli ran right through my peas last year during one of her zoomie fits with the neighborhood kids. I nearly sat on her.

    I'm crossing my fingers your elaborate scheme works! I suppose so long as there isn't a floppy lobster, you should be fine. ;)

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  4. Rustico NaturalMay 11, 2012 at 10:32 AM

    LOL!!! You are really getting a Hurley proof garden!!!
    I really hope it will last until harvest time!!!!

    I'm sure when he gets to maturity, like in a year or so, he'll finally understand that some places and things are not toys...you'll see :) Then you'll go back in time and laugh about this days :)

    You are having the time of your life, I, myself have some memories on the same subject!! LOL!!!!

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    1. SarahMay 11, 2012 at 5:05 PM

      I know he'll calm down about it. Hopefully, in another month, I can remove the chicken wire. We're also looking into building boxes for the wall behind the current garden beds so I can just garden on the wall instead of the yard.

      Delete
  5. Kirsten (peacefuldog)May 11, 2012 at 10:34 AM

    I so sympathize! Last year my gardens were a nice maze of all different kinds of wire; this year I just couldn't bear it so I am experimenting with lower, more discreet wire...and with keeping Fozzie out of the front yard more. I think he has mellowed out some; he still jumps like a kangaroo and goes mad in the front yard when the poor mailman comes, but things are overall getting less mowed down than they used to. Hope your scheme works, and I'll bet Hurley will mellow out with respect to the garden too :)

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    1. SarahMay 11, 2012 at 5:06 PM

      I'm glad I'm not the only one! My garden beds were never particularly attractive looking but I feel it's silly to rebuild them and invest all the time, money and effort if Hurley's isn't mature enough to leave them alone. So for now I plan and someday I'll be happy looking out onto my garden!

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  6. PamelaMay 11, 2012 at 12:06 PM

    My answer has been sturdy perennials in the backyard. Even if the hostas and day lilies get trampled, I know they'll come back.

    My vegetables are in the front yard.

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    1. SarahMay 11, 2012 at 5:06 PM

      We've got no water access in the front but I've considered hiring a plumber and starting to garden there...

      Delete
  7. FANCY the Red Standard PoodleMay 11, 2012 at 3:57 PM

    Hi Y'all,

    Stoppin' to say "hello" and see how y'all are doing.

    Hey, we dogs should come first! We should have a place that is ours, not yours. So, if you decide to plant something in our yard, it's fair game! ;)

    Sounds like y'all have had a good week though!

    Y'all come by now,
    Hawk aka BrownDog

    ReplyDelete

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