The Beast in the Garden

 Garden theme here at Irisheyes today. 
Still knitting my wrap, so no new pictures of knitting-

On our way to Minnesota we tuned into a gardening radio program.   They were touting the benefits of hay bale gardening.
I think we are going to give it a try.  
We are in the planning stages as the weather is quite cold and it is too early to plant.  Food for thought…and all that.

I like the idea of the seedlings and early plantings being raised on the bales.  Too many rabbits have stolen my seedlings in the past. 

Have you even gardened this way? 
My sister Michelle, recommended this book and gave it to me.
I read it in 3 days. 
I couldn't put it down. 
Animals fascinate me, as you know. 
The Beast in the Garden is a beautifully written account of Cougar sightings and encounters in the Colorado area recently. 

It is thought provoking.
It is suspenseful.
I cannot recommend it enough. 

If you don't read it anytime soon,
let me tell you a few things.

If you live where Cougars have EVER been sighted, do not run in the woods alone. Do not cycle in the woods alone.
Watch your children closely on hikes.  
If you come face to face with a Cougar in all its beauty and majesty, holler, look large, yell, throw rocks and do not turn and run.
Fight with all your might…..


There, how's that for a blog post?

Comments

Unknown said…
I have not heard of hay bale gardening, but it sure looks like a great idea.

Thanks for the book review, too! We did have a mountain lion "hanging out" right near our elementary playground a year ago. So, all teachers were on high alert as they allowed the kids to get out on the playground. All was well, and the beast eventually left the area. Whew.
Katherine said…
No cougars but several bobcats and coyotes. They are frequently sited in the field behind our house and I hope they stay there!

Thanks for the interesting gardening concept. I think I will read more about it.
Nancy said…
Good advice about cougars (mountain lions, pumas, etc). They are stealthy and are hard to spot, but if they are in the area, they are definitely seeing you even if you don't see them!

Hmmm, gardening with hay bales? I'd think straw would work better but maybe not. Hay is pretty expensive to use for gardening.
Anonymous said…
I have never seen a cougar in the wild, but I know several people who have come across Florida panthers on their morning runs.

I'll have to tell them to give that book a try ----- or maybe they DON'T want to know. LOL
kathy b said…
Nancy

You can use straw or hay as a matter of fact!

Thanks for the money saving tip
Lynn said…
I have never done this, but it looks interesting! and funny how you blogged abt gardening! I did too! However it's warm enough here to start it up!
Judy S. said…
We had a bobcat in our yard a couple years ago, and there have been cougar sightings in the area, too, but not recently. Maybe the bales would be high enough that the rabbits couldn't reach the plants! We've had a couple of rabbits cavorting in our yard.....wish you could teach them to only eat the grass (or moss)!
Oh that's interesting, I've never heard of bale gardening. We have some critters that eat our stuff.
Araignee said…
I love that hay bale idea. I'm going to look into it.
I love your advice on cougars. We don't have any here thank goodness. At least I don't think we do. Maybe I should check.
Tanna said…
Good advice... do not become prey in their eyes!!

I haven't heard of bale gardening and I'll look forward to seeing how it works.

Have a great day. blessings ~ tanna
SissySees said…
Well! That was a sobering post. I am reasonably certain there are no cougars in our woods. Just the same... I suddenly feel inclined to take the girls for a run in the country club behind the firehouse. HEM.
Celia said…
Cool! Thanks for the book recommendation. You know I live in Colorado. I know we went to the mountains last weekend. That's one of the things we were told. There was a cat hanging out on the trail behind our cabin.

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