Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time out in my gazebo working on a little garden setup.
I’ve got a couple of raised beds in there along with a few planters, and for the most part, it’s been really fun to build out. There’s something about checking on things every day, even when nothing looks different, that I’ve really been enjoying.
I actually had a similar setup last year, but the problem then wasn’t critters. It was the soil.
I had the idea to use ground tree mulch from a tree we had to cut down, which in theory felt like a very resourceful, full-circle gardening moment. In reality, it was not a good idea. Things did not grow the way I thought they would, and I spent most of the season trying to figure out why nothing seemed happy.
This year felt like a fresh start.
In the bigger bed, I’ve got tomatoes, oregano, thyme, and basil, with a few marigolds mixed in. The other bed is mostly jalapeños (also with marigolds, because apparently I’m committed to the look at this point). Then I’ve got two planters, one with lettuce and one with strawberries, which I was very excited about until recently.
Because something keeps digging in my beds.
I don’t know what it is, and I don’t know when it’s happening, but I’ll walk out there in the morning and see that something has decided to rearrange everything I carefully set up the day before. And since it’s all inside the gazebo, it somehow feels a little more personal.
Sabre is aware of the situation but has chosen not to get involved. He prefers to observe from inside and let me handle all outdoor conflicts on my own.
Despite that, I’ve actually been enjoying it a lot.
It’s a little messy, a little unpredictable, and definitely not perfect - but it’s been a good reminder that not everything has to go exactly right to still be worth doing. And honestly, I think that carries over into baking too.
Some days things turn out exactly how you planned. Other days… not so much. But you still end up with something good, and you still get to share it.
So we keep going.
If you have any tips for keeping critters out of raised beds (especially in a gazebo??), I am all ears.
In the meantime, I’ll be out there checking on things, hoping for tomatoes, and trying to stay one step ahead of whatever is digging holes in my hard work.
– Blaze 🍞✨
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