Last month, we finally got around to fencing in the lower garden bed. In the past, I'd used some more half-assed barriers, including draping garden netting over the beds. But I have wanted to create a more permanent fence for a while, and Dakota was kind enough to oblige.

The garden now has three sides covered in chicken wire and one side hung with a large piece of garden netting, so that I can drop that side down to plant and weed. I feel confident that this setup will be successful in keeping out skunks, squirrels and, most importantly, my naughty chickens.

Unfortunately, all the wire fencing in the world can't keep out insects. I seem to have some kind of cutworm or other pest that's gobbling up my squash sprouts as soon as they emerge. I'm not really sure what to do, but I guess I might need to get some beneficial nematodes. If anyone has cutworm control tips, let me know, especially if they aren't too time consuming. I don't have a lot of time to spend in the garden these days.

So, things are not off to the smoothest start this Spring. But once I get the pest situation under control, I am hoping the new fencing, combined with a soaker hose, compost and lots of straw mulch, will ensure an excellent crop of squash, tomatoes and beans this summer.

Hope you enjoy a beautiful Spring day.

I apologize for all the gloomy chicken posts lately, but I'm afraid I have some distressing news: Peggy has passed on to that great chicken coop in the sky. We had some crazy times, me and the Peggster, and she will be missed.

I'm no chicken doctor, but I believe Peggy died of natural causes. Several weeks ago, I found her lying dead in a corner of the run when I went down to give the hens their morning scoop of food. There was no sign of foul play (ahem), and, honestly, it looked like she'd just keeled over while sitting on a perch. Hopefully, she died happy, clucking away with her sisters.

Peggy was one of my older chickens, at a little less than 3 years old. Tina, who is the same age, is still laying eggs and seems quite vigourous, but Peggy hadn't laid for a year or so, and seemed to have slowed down a little. She is my first chicken to die of old age. We gave her our traditional viking funeral.

My mom sent me a link to an interesting article a while ago, and it seems particularly relevant now that Spring is here and my garden is full of flowers and pollinators. It's actually a guide for "urban bee gardeners" from UC Berkeley's College of Natural Resources, and it points out a funny contradiction that conscientious gardeners should be aware of: mulch is not good for wild bees.

It turns out, the majority of native California bees are actually ground-nesting. That means that, rather than building the classic hive hanging from a tree branch, they actually dig little holes in the soil and put their cells inside. So, if you mulch like crazy to suppress weeds and keep water from evaporating before it soaks into the soil, you might also be making it harder for bees to nest.

Since bees are also essential in a good organic garden--and, well, essential for life as we know it--I think it's important to know about their need for naked ground. That way, we can all leave a place in our yard that is both plant and mulch-free, so California bees can happily reproduce.

My backyard is still a bit of a wilderness in places, so I don't think the bees will have trouble finding bare ground to dig their little holes. But I'm glad I know about this, just in case I manage to tame the whole space someday.

In the meantime, the bees in my yard are busily buzzing around my lavender, native plants and, happily, my blooming fruit trees. Hopefully all that careful pollination will bring some tasty homegrown apples, peaches and oranges in the coming year.