Beware Those Critters on the Patio

We've always had good luck with our vegetable garden - until this year. It's not the plant we have a problem with. It's the critters that found the plant. Because we added some grass to the larger section of the patio garden the space is now quite limited. This year we only have one tomato plant rather than two, tried a pea vine that didn't work out very well, and decided not to have cucumbers. So we put all our eggs in one basket and waited for the first tomato to ripen. It did, and we found the shell of it neatly placed on the top of the fence. I've seen a squirrel or two sneaking around there every once in awhile and I think they think they've hit a gold mine. Not so fast! My husband has been plucking the less ripened tomatoes and sitting them on the kitchen table and staying one step ahead of those critters. It seems to be working. Let's hope the furry creatures find another spot with more to offer. Until that is the case, we'll keep a look out and hope for a bumper crop. It's not so much about the yield but the process. That's why we like it here. We can even have a garden but on a much smaller scale.