We have an over population of deer here and we’re not allowed to have fences. Approximately 30 to 50 deer live in the immediate area around our home. We live in a residential area and they have no predators. There’s no hunting allowed here. The only thing that ends up thinning the population is car accidents sadly.. Anything and everything that I put in the ground is being eaten. There’s no way of stopping being a hungry and determined deer especially a pregnant doe. The Mom’s stash their newborn babies right next to our back door and in the shrubs around our house. The only thing that they don’t ever eat is boxwood. I’m going to be doing a little container garden on top of the flat roof where our sunroom is. One of the female deer was hit by a car last year and she miraculously survived although a part of her leg didn’t. We call her Hopalong. She is an incredible survivor and has become very tame.

We are all from different climates and diverse regions, it would be nice to see your local landscape.

A guild is a group of plants arranged together because they help create a stronger living system. It is more than companion planting. Companion planting often asks, “Which plants like each other?” A guild asks a bigger question. “What does this plant need, and what other plants can help meet those needs while also feeding the whole system?” In a simple vegetable garden, a guild might start with one main crop, such as a tomato. Then we begin adding support around it. The tomato is the anchor crop. Basil may bring scent confusion and a useful herb harvest. Onions may add another scent layer and use a different root zone. Lettuce may cover the soil early before the tomato fills out. Flowers may bring pollinators and beneficial insects. Mulch or living cover protects the soil and helps hold moisture. That becomes a guild because each part has a job. A good guild usually includes several functions: - A main crop. - A soil-covering plant or mulch. - A pollinator or insectary plant. - A pest-confusing aromatic plant. - A plant using a different root zone. - A plant that climbs, sprawls, or fills unused space. - Something that supports soil life. In a food forest, guilds are often built around trees and perennials. In an annual vegetable garden, guilds are more seasonal. They shift as the weather changes. Peas and lettuce may be a spring guild. Tomatoes, basil, peppers, and flowers may be a summer guild. Kale, broccoli, onions, and herbs may be a cool-season guild. The point is not to make the garden complicated. The point is to stop seeing each crop as a separate thing. We begin seeing the bed as a small ecosystem. Each plant either feeds us, feeds the soil, protects the soil, attracts help, confuses pests, creates shade, fills space, or improves the rhythm of the bed. That is how a guild is used. We start with the crop we want to grow. Then we ask what is missing around it. Does it need pollinators? Does it need shade on the soil? Does it need better airflow?

Comfrey was blooming yesterday as well as feverfew which is early for us. It has been very dry and warm comparing to other years so it seems nature is a bit a headed; my spinach already bolting. With that in mind Saturday will 30's (3C) Saturday morning. I have several tomato plants up over a foot tall so might need to start the poly tunnel heater Sat morning to keep them happy. Cover crop of cereal rye, hairy vetch, triticale and red clover is coming along nicely. Will terminate in about two weeks to plant corn and pole beans. My thought is that the clover will remain as a living mulch.

Came across this today. Made me wonder, are we teaching our children classical wisdom. Classical wisdom is the old, time-tested teaching that helps people live with better judgment, stronger character, clearer thinking, and deeper purpose. It is not just old books. It is the steady wisdom passed down through scripture, history, philosophy, literature, nature, family practice, and lived experience. Classical wisdom teaches us how to become the kind of person who can think clearly, choose wisely, and live with purpose.