A week ago, the latest pineapple was almost ready for harvesting. It needed a few more days to go, but hubby was worried that the garden squirrels would get to it. So he quickly harvested the fruit. However, we had to let it sit in the kitchen to fully ripen before eating it.
The trick to ensure the fruit ripens well is to hang it upside down and let gravity do the job to aid the process. So far, it is going very well. As each day passed, I could smell the fragrance of the pineapple whenever I walked past the cabinet where we hung the pineapple. Mmm, so wonderful!
See the string?
In a day or two, we should be able to savor the aromatic pineapple harvested from our garden. Lovely.
Our neighbor has two dogs – a friendly Golden Retriever and an aggressive German Shepherd. We missed interacting and petting the friendly one when the aggressive one joined their family. There is no more opportunity to stretch the hands safely for a quick scratch or tickle.
The German Shepherd is an annoying one. Sure, he’s a guard dog, but we are neighbors, not intruders. Whenever we were in the garden, he would bark incessantly at us. It borders on annoyance and fear at the same time. He has snarled and shown his teeth at me several times. Because of its aggressive nature, I have stopped doing my woodwork outside on the garden terrace.
Lately, he is at it again, barking his head off unnecessarily, a test of our patience for such an unpeaceful situation. One morning, the annoying dog was barking at hubby so aggressively when hubby was watering the plants. It was too much!
Hubby went over to complain to the owner about the dog’s unbecoming behavior. The owner defended his dog, saying it meant no harm, and was merely barking at the rabbit (the pet from the neighbor flanking their house) whenever the rabbit was out.
Wait a minute! It was barking at hubby! Me (at times)! Us (all the time)! Not the rabbit!!! Do we look like rabbits? Hrmph.
The Starbucks brown bags are not the perfect solution to protect our figs after all! The squirrels are getting smarter and have managed to beat us to the game. Darn them!
So we have up our defenses against them by using plastic fruit, vege, and egg containers instead of brown bags. These containers are much more effective in keeping the raiders out. We can also see the figs to monitor their growth.
A more effective protection for our figs
Previously, with the brown bags, it took more effort to monitor as we had to open each one to inspect. With the clear plastic now, there is no need for this step. So far, it’s going well with the figs thriving for us to harvest.
It is a constant learning process to be good fig defenders against those sneaky garden squirrels.
We found the perfect solution to protect our figs from being raided on the trees in the garden. Who would have known that used Starbucks brown bags work better than the much-touted netting bags and reflecting CDs?
After the last raid, we had to do something. I found some Starbucks takeaway bags tucked between the storage containers on the kitchen counter and decided to use them. I cut one bag into three pieces and wrapped the ripening fruits individually. And I added staples to secure the bag firmly on the plants.
This little extra effort has proven to be fruitful, literally. Yesterday afternoon, hubby harvested a large fig thus far compared to all previous harvests. Measuring four centimeters across, it was the sweetest and juiciest home-grown fig! Delicious.
Previous harvests were puny because hubby plucked them before the squirrels could eat them. And this prevented the fruits from growing to their maximum. So now we know that brown paper bags can protect and, at the same time, allow the fig to grow even more – we will have to get more paper bags.
Juiciest fig from the garden!
However, we are using a Lunar New Year red packet because we ran out of brown bags. Perhaps this can work too? As long as we cover the ripening figs in sight and smell, the garden squirrels have no chance to raid.
Fig Defenders are now one up against the Fig Raiders. Yay.
The battle with the fig raiders has become a daily affair because the plants are fruiting. So far, I think the score is even. Hubby harvested some ripened figs, and the garden squirrel ate some from the plant. Hrmph.
We have resorted to a new method, wrapping the fruit with takeaway brown paper bags. Stapled for added strength, we hope this will protect the fruit. But alas, the rain came down yesterday evening, and the bag got wet and weakened. Oh no!
The netting bags have not been much good in protecting the figs, hence the raids now and then. Maybe I add brown bags to the netting bags for reinforcement? Hmm, whatever it takes to prevent the fig raiders, we will do it.
The darn garden squirrels are at it again, beating us to the fruits! Aaargh. Last week, when we were away, several figs were ripening on one fig plant. But we couldn’t get to harvest them on time upon our return.
The four-legged furries were faster than us and helped themselves to not one or two but four figs on the plant. Four figs! They must be hungry or very daring. Unfortunately, hubby did not cover the fruits with netting bags, so the fruits were exposed.
Evidence of the raid. Hrmph
But even the netting bags cannot deter these darn fig raiders, for we have seen fig fruits disappear inside a bag, still intact in its place! We have even tied old CDs as light reflectors to scare the raiders, but this method is not working too. Sigh.
We need new methods to prevent the fig-raiding squirrels from eating the fresh figs off the plants. Any ideas?
Every morning, when I look out my kitchen window, I see the pineapple in the garden growing beautifully. It crosses my mind daily, will we get to savor the fruit this time? The garden squirrel got to the last ripened fruit before us, eating it until the core.
Well, horrors of all horrors, history has repeated itself! The heavy pineapple somehow fell to the ground despite being propped up with a stick. And the garden squirrel started on it as the wire mesh fell off, devouring about a third of the fruit before being discovered. Hrmph.
The mesh, the fruit and the fruitless plant
We have decided not to plant pineapples anymore after this latest mishap. They take too long even though we don’t have to care for the growth constantly. And when it comes time to harvest, the garden squirrels are a tad too fast for us. Sigh.
Weeks have passed, and sadly, Itsy the Golden Orb Silk Weaver spider is gone! Recently, the gardeners spruced up the perimeter greenery area, and Itsy’s branches were affected.
Initially, when we relocated her there, we felt that area would be a haven for her with lots of insects for food. It never crossed our mind that the gardeners would trim the branches. So now, it is a clearing with lesser branches and foliage. Fewer insects and pests for humans, I suppose.
With her web destroyed, I presume her demise as well. How unfortunate.
So my new routine is now checking up on Itsy every morning. This morning, I was aghast because it’s a mess out there. What is going on?
I think the weather has a part in this mess. Perhaps the rain and wind have compromised the web, and Itsy decided to expand upwards. And debris has stuck on the web, thus making it look itsy bitsy messy. Sigh.
It’s hard to take a picture of the scenario because the iPhone XR can’t capture the web well, especially with the busy foliage background.
I hope Itsy can clean up the debris and make its home nice and clean again. With the situation as such, I have to check on it more than once daily!
Since discovering our new spider resident, I have had a new morning routine when I come downstairs. I’d open the front door every morning to look for Itsy. Yes, I’ve decided to name our Golden Silk Orb Weaver spider as such. And it’s not easy to see it because of the busy background foliage.
Finally coming in handy!
So I use a set of binoculars instead! It’s funny because I’m a mere few feet away, yet I have to use the Bushnell binoculars. I hope the neighbors on the opposite end do not think I am spying on them. I am simply spying on our spider in the front garden. Hahahaha.
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