Despite heat, rabbits and deer it’s been a great garden season

This perennial hibiscus is blooming right now and the deer aren’t interested in it at all. Photos by Doug Oster Tribune-Review

Ligularia ‘Britt Marie Crawford’ is one of my favorite perennials. No deer damage here.

You’ve got to take the good with the bad when it comes to gardening. My biggest challenge has actually been a little rabbit that sneaks in an out of the garden. I don’t know where he is getting under the fence, but it’s been maddening. This video shows me burying a fence inside the fenced in garden to keep some greens safe.

The deer tool all of my hostas while I was on a 10 day vacation. That’s easier to deal with as I just spray the with Bobbex and they are coming back fine.

Living in an oak forest means growing lots of impatiens.

The heat was also hard on the cool weather crops like kale and lettuce. Neither enjoy hot weather and now is the time to start planting for a fall crop of both.

But the successes outweighed the failures so far this season. Containers thrived, tomatoes went crazy. perennial hibiscus seems deer proof and most everything else grew wonderfully.

As I always say, it’s compost that makes my garden excel. There are no pesticides or herbicides used in my garden and rarely do I even have to reach for an organic fungicide like Serenade. Planting in compost gives the plants everything they need. When they have that, they can fight off just about anything (except rabbits and deer!).

You might be inclined to kick back and enjoy the fruits of your labor, but don’t stop now. Fall is the time to plant trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs and cool weather vegetables

Gardens can make you cry and then laugh in a matter of minutes. That’s why gardening teaches us such great life lessons.

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‘Chocolate Sprinkles’ is my new favorite cherry tomato. I got it at Plant-It Earth Greenhouse near Blairsville.