We were supposed to get a late frost on May 4th so I decided I needed to mulch my garden.I use raised beds so they dry out a bit faster in the summer and the mulch keeps in the moisture. Mulch also helps keep the weed pulling chore to a minimum.I used the left over alfalfa hay that was on the floor of the barn. I spent a couple of hours bending,sifting and gently tucking the mulch under the plants that are already up. I was most worried about my cucumber bed as just the first leaves have come out on them. As I proudly surveyed my work, all of the plant rows tucked neatly into their alfalfa blankets, I noticed that my ever present companions were staring longinly at the nice cushiony raised bed I had made for them for the cold night ahead.Sweet Molly had her head propped on one corner of the bed watching me.
The Beagle laid contently in the middle of the path guarding the garden from squirrels.
and Manney , the big lug, was sitting on my feet.
They were all giving me their best sweet innocent "we won't touch it" looks and I believed them. They hadn't bothered this garden thus far. We had to fence the last one because Manney liked to bury his "Prizes" in the soft soil, living(possum) or dead. It was almost dark and there wasn't much I could do about it so I decided it was time to go. Needless to say as soon as I was out of sight they all tucked themselves neatly into the mulch like big ole taters. They decided to make the cucumber bed a squash bed. It did frost and nip a few of the plants.Some of the cucumber plants survived the "squashing"and not too much of the mulch was displaced. We have since used cattle panels to cover the bed and replanted. It was so nice of me to think of the dogs and make them a place outside. The nice soft warm hay piles in the barn just aren't the same.
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