We started planting the garden!
This year we are re-using the plastic from last year. Planting is a whole lot easier when the holes are already in place. Some things we planted less of because we don't have goats or pigs to feed the excess to this year. In the empty holes I put marigolds to help fight some of the insect battles we have. I don't know what marigolds have that some bugs don't like but I can say it definitely helps!
One of the worst pests we have at planting time are buffalo gnats. They don't bother the plants but they can put a lot of hurt on the gardeners. One bite on me causes a welt that itches and swells for days - way worse than a mosquito bite. They're also a bane to our chickens as they will swarm around their heads and close off their breathing.
Buffalo gnats haven't always been in our area. The theory is that a major flood several years ago brought them in. I'd be happy if they would go back! But since they're here, I've learned some ways to deal with them. First, we spray ourselves with vanilla whenever we're going to be working outside. Vanilla is the only deterrent that actually works. And for the chickens, we keep the coop dark and run a fan for constant air circulation. The birds will congregate in the coop, of their own free will, until the gnat season is over. It's usually only a couple weeks that the gnats are here but they can make life miserable if you aren't prepared.
