Broccoli planted out with cat / wind shields.

Broccoli plugs arrived.

Broccoli plugs arrived today.  I planted into 2 storage containers that I plan to cover with a fleece to protect so I can plant out in a couple of days.

Our consevatory is being torn down and rebuilt Tuesday morning so that will be out of action for 2-3 days, so can't be used for gardening stuff.

Plant tent.

I got a tent for my veg plants to protect them whilst they're young against heavy rain and the cat.

I ordered in a rush and didn't measure up first, and when it arrived it was much bigger than anticipated.

Got it set up anyway with the cats help.

The thing is, I think this is more designed for protecting very young plants in colder months, and it would be like a sauna in hotter months.  It does have zips down the side but I can't leave these open as the cat would then think the tent was for him.  So once build I slashed 2 holes in the top for air flow.  Felt weird doing this to a brand new item, but I think it was the right thing.

Rain is coming.

Weather is looking a little bleak, and since some of the plants are still very small, I felt I needed to protect them  from potentially heavy rain over the next few days.

Sadly, as I was lowering down a cover over one of the courgette plants, I dropped it and snapped the courgette vine in half.  Not sure if it will recover or not, but thankfully I have spares.

Courgette attack evidence emerges.

I have now seen that the cat likes to rub up against the fencing lie down and hook her paws around it as seen here.

Also, I caught her trying to use it as a scratching post, which now seems like the likely explanation for what I found.  I think she tred using it, it collapsed towards her, she tried to run with her claws hook in and pulled it down.

Courgette attack.

The first day after planting out and fencing the courgettes, I come home to find the fence and support canes collapsed and the courgettes somewhat flattened.

Where the fence starts and ends, it bulges out as it something was forced through it and other parts are very mis-shapen as well.

Co-incidentally the cat was no longer in the front garden as usual, but was out the back instead.  This has her paw prints all over it.

I've restored as best I can and put more support canes in.  Hope this was a one off. 

2 courgette plants, planted out, mulched and fenced.

Courgette 1 planted and mulched.

Courgette 2 planted and mulched.

Courgettes 1 and 2 fenced either side of tomato.

From above.

Progress pics (31st May)

Sunflower (tall) seedlings

Sunflower (bush) plants

Courgettes

Tomatoes

I've been mulching my tomatoes

Note to future self, mulch first, fence second.

Don't fence me out

Much of my life now is trying to take care of the garden and grow vegetable plants whilst the cat tries to stop me

This morning I moved a tomato plant from a pot into the front garden, which is the cats sunbathing area, so I needed to make a fence around it do the cat didn't sunbathe on it.

Her first reaction was to attack the posts that would hold the fence up.

Then to lie between the posts like a protestor (I changed the path of the fence).

I managed to buy time to finish the fence by giving her her own post to attack.

And now the tomato plant is safe, for now...