Keeping plants in, rodents out

After we planted the beds, it appeared the surface of the soil in the beds had been disturbed, as if some kind of animal had walked through them. 

Mr. H asked his bride if Lucy happened to traipse through the square-foot beds in back. She commented that no, Lucy has been kept out.

There's only one plausible explanation: pesky rodents (okay, maybe two: pesky rodents and mite-infested birds).

A surprising amount of wildlife thinks Shorewood is a great place to live. Turkeys, deer, rabbits, raccoons, and opossum are common. 

Last spring, the village provided wise advice residents how to deal with wild turkeys, including a gem like this one from the weekly newsletter:

While turkeys are intimidating and can be aggressive, they are virtually harmless. Show dominance over the turkey by making loud noises or shoo them away with a broom. 

Residents were also discouraged from allowing turkeys on the bus (!). Mr. H saw a couple of squirrels this week, eagerly pawing through the beds in search of delicious seeds. Seeds that are supposed to grow into vegetables.  A couple of two-foot high cages, open on top (so tall plants can grow unimpeded) is the experimental configuration for this year. Hopefully the plants stay in, the rodents out, and good results follow.

So far, the turkeys have stayed away. And no more strange pawing through the beds.