Reason #4581 why to SFG

To keep the kids and dog from trampling over the plants I have all the vine crops in the traditional garden. We have 2.5 acres and for some reason every child that steps foot on the premise has an urge to play tag running through the garden. Latest victims----2 squash and one pumpkin plant. UGH!!!!!!! I am seriously debating making one by one wood boxes just to place around the plants and spray painting them neon orange. I told all the kids and parents that were over last week that there was one rule at my house that if it was broken I would yell at them.....stay OUT of the garden, it is off limits because I didn't want plants damaged!!! Guess it didn't sink in.

Yeah, threatening to withhold a kid's helping of squash just isn't much incentive.

Sounds like you need a fence for two legged varmints!

Many years ago when we did row gardening in our small backyard, my husband along with our children and the neighbor children always played wiffle ball.

After many times of the ball and/or children's feet/husband feet falling in the garden to catch a fly ball, etc., I finally announced "Any ball in the garden is an automatic out"!!

Twenty-five yrs later and more, whenever we play any sport in our yard whether wiffle ball, volleyball, tag, etc., the rule is "Any ball in the garden is an automatic out" - which it now means "flower garden".

Our SFG boxes (3) are now located in the side yard.

How some things never change.....

Dunkinjean

Martha,

I was like...hmmm....blank post....then i saw the smallest font in the world and wondered why. Then I was able to read the post and it all made sense why the font was so small. Don't want the whole world to know eh?

Once upon a time, when we lived in a moble home park, the neighbor hood kids would ride their bikes through our yards. I threatened to line the yard with yucca plants, it's like getting paper cuts all over, maybe that would work?

staf74 wrote:Martha,

I was like...hmmm....blank post....then i saw the smallest font in the world and wondered why. Then I was able to read the post and it all made sense why the font was so small. Don't want the whole world to know eh?

"Xactly!

I like the auto out rule. The only thing I ever had success with I learned accidently. I hand raised a flock of geese. I found them fairly friendly, though once they start laying eggs I had to carry a sturdy stick into the garden for enforcement (NOT allowed to nip the back of my knees!!) We had dogs that I would have been afraid of if they were not mine. Kids and country folk were not worried by the dogs but when the geese were in the berry garden near the basketball hoop they were far more careful about their shots. Once a week or so I would set any basketballs I found in the garden by the edge of the fence but as summer went on that was a chore I did less often.

People would come with buckets (adult people) to help themselves to my raspberries UNLESS the geese were grazing in the berry garden. As a bonus they keep the lawn mowed and fertilized.