Unless you’ve seen the squirrel, I think the damage is from a hornworm caterpillar (tobacco moth) instead. Check your plants carefully, they blend into the stalk perfectly despite being as big and long as your thumb! One can eat every tomato you’ve got if you don’t remove him. Gorgeous produce, btw!

Heather,
Thanks so much for the tip! There are squirrels running all around my yard so I just assumed because the hole was so big. I will check for the caterpillar and let you know. I appreciate the advice!
Melanie

Great harvest, makes me happy to see! Those green beans look so fresh and delicious, dreaming of ours!

Some people say that sunflowers will distract squirrels but I’ve never tried it before. Also chicken wire works well, I know this from experience as my dad grows out near the woods. 🙂

You have inspired a girl on the other side of the world to have another go at her vegie garden this time with raised beds!!! Thankyou from Australia

Tanya,
Yahoo! Thanks for making my day! I love gardening so much and am happy when someone else wants to give it a go. You’ve got this!!
Please stay in touch and let me know how your garden is growing.
thanks for the message!
Melanie

Isn’t cauliflower beautiful to grow? We harvested the last of ours a couple months ago and will be growing much more this winter! Your photos are inspiring. Thank you for sharing!

Pamela,
Thanks for the tips on the squirrels – I haven’t caught them red handed so maybe it’s a bug – I just don’t see any of those either! The squirrels seem to dance around the yard and are so happy I am thinking they are guilty! The joys of protecting the garden, ha!
thanks for all your help!!
Mel

Sam,
I love broccoli to look at – so beautiful – and cauliflower comes in a close second! I will grow more next year as well. It’s fun to have success with a crop and be anxious to plant it again. The seasons come and go so quickly now.
thanks for the kind comment!
best wishes to you,
Mel

Melanie,
When did you start your cucumbers and beans? Did you start them from seeds and transplant them out to your bed or did you just plant them in the ground? You and your garden are both so inspiring. One day I wish my garden will look and produce as beautifully as yours.

Oune,
Hi! I regret not making a blog post about when I planted these but I did plant them both from seeds right into my beds. I believe it was about March 11th. The cucumbers and green beans both are ready to harvest in about 60 days. Thanks for asking – I will be better about keeping more precise records! Best wishes to you,
Melanie

Hi Melanie,
I am soooo loving your garden. I too live in the Houston area and just decided to take the plunge and start out with a 4×4 raised garden. Any advice on easy things to start out with to help build up my confidence? I have a serious black thumb. I mean, I can kill mint and rosemary. And I was told those never die…
Also, what is the shade like around your garden. I’m not sure where the best place would be to put mine. I’d eventually like to grow items for my green smoothies. (cucumber, celery, carrots, greens, etc)
Thanks!

Elaine,
Hi! So excited about starting a garden! Good Luck – I too thought I had a black thumb – but little did I know it would be easier than I thought.
My advice: check your garden daily for bugs, water daily unless it rains, fertilize weekly, and lastly pick and it what you grow. You got this!!
If you want to see what I grow visit this post:
http://www.raisedurbangardens.com/2013/04/reader-question-what-should-i-plant/

My garden is next to my house but I say it gets a good bit of sun. I would try to put your in a place that it gets plenty of sun. The more shaded areas are not as good but will work.
Stay in touch and let me know what you plant!
I am sure excited for you!
Melanie

Melanie,
I have LOVED browsing your site and am completely inspired to finally put together a garden for our family. We just moved to Kentucky this spring and our new backyard offers great space and sunlight to place raised garden plots. We don’t move in for another week, and I’m not sure if it’s too late to start planting, but I sure am excited! Thank you for documenting your gardening journey. I’m sure your site will be my go-to resource as I begin my own adventure! Much thanks, Lindsey

Lindsey,
Thanks for the sweet comments! How fun to live in Kentucky, I have heard it is beautiful there. My thinking is that it is never too late to start a garden, I grow something all year long. I am sure you can still plant late summer crops and for sure something in the fall. Good luck with the move-in and your garden!
Wishing you the best,
Melanie

If it does turn out to be a squirrel some pepper spray on the fruit and leaves should do the trick and won’t harm the tomatoes.

Teresa,
Thanks for the tip, I did try that and it does seem to help. I appreciate you taking the time to share and help me and others!
best wishes to you,
Melanie

If your tomatoes are being eaten by the hornworm, you’ll be missing many leaves off of some stems, and then they leave tiny black ‘droppings’ close by. I had woodpeckers on my tomatoes, but after putting a birdbath next to my garden, they made use of that instead of the llquid in the tomatoes. I never knew that would help until I read on someone’s blog. Thank God for Internet–at least for SOME things!

Barbi,
Thanks for the idea! I love it! So nice of you to share, and yes the internet is wonderful for ideas we can use.
Best wishes to you,
Melanie

Rabbits eat our okra and Swiss chard leaving just enough to where the plants grow just enough to supply themselves more meals. No matter how I try catching, they avoid the trap. Any and all OTHER suggestions welcome!

Beautify veggies! I am an old gardener, age plus time gardening. I grew up during WW ll and a garden was a MUST, if we wanted to eat. I swore that “when I get big I will never have a garden!” Ha! My hubby was a career soldier, and wherever we lived, I planted flowers, and always roses, and if at all possible started a small garden, hoping that those that rented the place after us would keep it up.
When my husband retired we settled in NW PA and i had a proper, big garden with raised 4 x 4 beds for 15 years, which we surrounded with berry bushes. Red and black currants, gooseberries and raspberry’s.. Now we live in Lancaster Co and when we looked at this property I asked the owner why no garden…they told us that nothing grows here… Not on its own, it wont:)So we got busy and put in a few raised beds, but made the mistake to make them 4’wide. I am very arthritic, and 76, i can’t reach across 2′ anymore.

This morning when we went out into the garden we were met by a sad sight! Day before yesterday we had three healthy cucumber plants, but this AM they were all dead. The leaves were still nice and green, but they looked like they were dunked into hot water. weird…any idea what caused that?
Also, I noticed that you garden in plastic boxes. What kind of soil do you put into them? I’ve had three large plastic boxes and I filled them with good garden soil. It stays always very wet, and nothing grows in them, except weeds. Last week we purchased two Earth boxes. Does anyone have experience with them?

Siggi,
Hi! thanks for sharing your garden stories! I love them!! I love conecting to other gardeners and I love gardening. It connects me to God and the beauty of the Earth that he created for us.
It sounds like your cucumbers got too hot? Not sure about it. My garden boxes all have drain holes in them to keep them from staying too wet, and they aren’t too deep. I haven’t tried the Earth boxes, sorry I can’t help you there. Good luck with your garden.
Wishing you the best,
Melanie

I see you grow Swiss Chard. I tried it for the first time this year. How is it best cooked? Any recipes/

Siggi,
Hi! I grow Swiss Chard for green smoothies, but you can also eat it in a salad.
Here is a post that includes the recipe for my green smoothie.

http://www.raisedurbangardens.com/2012/12/green-smoothie-recipe/

best wishes!
Melanie