Avery Park Garden

This is our community plot at Avery Park. I was originally really excited to do this post because this garden had become my pride and joy. We kept up on the weeding and went out every day to water and monitor growth.


I hand fertilized all of the squash because they weren't setting fruit on their own. We went out one morning to find that deer had eaten the tops off of all of our tomatoes and some of our pop corn. I found a product called Liquid Fence. It has worked great, I spray it once per week and we haven't had deer problems since. Cantaloupes!


Sugar pumpkin:


Here comes the sad part. Aaron went out to the garden to water, on his birthday no less and called me from the garden. "Did you pick two of the watermelons?" Of course I hadn't, he would have known for sure if I had. Someone had stolen 2 of our 3 watermelons. It made me feel sick to my stomach. We obviously have no control over who goes in our space or what they do there. It goes with the territory, but it really sucks to have spent so much time (and money) on this garden to not get what we have grown out of it. I have been out once since to water, and just felt completely deflated. I can't be attached to anything growing there anymore. I think many of our peppers have been taken as well, but I haven't been keeping as close of tabs on them, so I don't know for sure.


Cayenne pepper


Cinderella pumpkin


Tomatillos


Bush delicata


Hungarian wax pepper


Poblano pepper


Acorn squash


Not sure


All of our pepper plants


Pop corn

Ugh. I hope the stealing ceases, but I feel like the pumpkins are next. It makes me want to camp out in the bushes and hunt them down. I kind of suspect homeless people, but it could have been anyone, it is a public park. If it was homeless people, I'm hoping things like squash and hot peppers won't appeal to them. I went out the next day and sprinkled everything with flour to make it look like I had applied pesticides, but it rained today, so that will have washed away. I'm not sure what else I can do but try to release it a bit. I feel like signs may make the problem worse. We talked about possibly covering things with netting or chicken wire to make it more difficult, but you can't really keep people out. Any thoughts or ideas? A sign that says Please do not steal?

Ending on a happier note...I have my first job interview in Albany tomorrow. Wish me luck!