Do you remember Ground Squirel Gardens, my garden at work?

@TheHorse (238370)
Walnut Creek, California
August 30, 2017 12:38pm CST
My life of crime, specifically illegal planting, started when Ground Squirrel Gardens failed. Two years ago, I decided to try growing a garden with my kid clients at my place of work in Concord CA. We were experiencing drought conditions, so we had to be diligent about watering, but we did get things started. And then the ground squirrels came and ate everything, including our sunflowers, corn plants, and green bean plants. What I do now is help each kid client grow stuff at their own houses. I took a picture of Ground Squirrel Gardens as it looks today, but I'll lead with a picture of what it looked like in the best days, before the ground squirrels destroyed it.
13 people like this
12 responses
RasmaSandra
@RasmaSandra (98129)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
30 Aug 17
Nice garden. Shame on those nasty squirrels.
3 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (238370)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 Aug 17
Here's what it looks like as of two days ago. I gave up after the first year. Except for a few snow pea plants along the fence in Winter.
3 people like this
RasmaSandra
@RasmaSandra (98129)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
30 Aug 17
@TheHorse WOW that is a huge difference. Best to give up in this case.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (238370)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 Aug 17
@RasmaSandra Yep, the ground squirrels were so desperate, they even ate the prickly pears!
1 person likes this
Valerie J. Routhieaux
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
30 Aug 17
Ground squirrels can be pretty mean to plants. Nice photo of it before the squirrels got at it.
3 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (238370)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 Aug 17
Yeah, I had high hopes. Then reality set in.
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (238370)
• Walnut Creek, California
31 Aug 17
@just4him Yep. But hey, my balcony garden is doing OK.
2 people like this
Valerie J. Routhieaux
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
31 Aug 17
@TheHorse Reality will do it every time.
2 people like this
Oshy
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
30 Aug 17
Oh dear the little scavengers got to the lovely garden..sorry about that.
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (238370)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 Aug 17
Now I grow my crops on my balcony. And help the kids plant at their homes.
1 person likes this
DianneN
@DianneN (254926)
• United States
30 Aug 17
They have to eat, too, but not your kid clients' plants!!!!
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (238370)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 Aug 17
Sigh. I conceded victory to the squirrels almost two years ago. I hope animal lovers don't start taking statues of me down because I was on the wrong side. I see myself as a good man.
1 person likes this
DianneN
@DianneN (254926)
• United States
31 Aug 17
@TheHorse Aw, you are still a good man. We shall leave your statues standing.
Angie
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
30 Aug 17
That is a shame! The garden was looking so good and I bet the children were so happy. At least you had a solution to the problem. Deer party on my plants around here, they ate all the green beans one year, I have not grown anymore since.
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (238370)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 Aug 17
Deer partied in my garden when I lived in Orinda. None of the "sure-fire" methods of keeping them away worked. The bunnies joined them.
Denise Knight
@gnatsmom (2575)
•
2 Sep 17
We had the same problem with our gardens this year, only it was rabbits. Those rascals know no fear. They would run into the garden and run out with stuff with us standing right there. We are going to try raised beds next year.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (238370)
• Walnut Creek, California
3 Sep 17
I hope raised beds work. Rabbits can jump, you know.
The Horse
@TheHorse (238370)
• Walnut Creek, California
3 Sep 17
@gnatsmom Sigh. My ground squirrels would probably make a network of tunnels under the fence and charge the bunnies a toll.
Denise Knight
@gnatsmom (2575)
•
3 Sep 17
@TheHorse Yea, so we may need to fence the gardens. Thanks for that reminder.
1 person likes this
celticeagle
@celticeagle (190011)
• Boise, Idaho
30 Aug 17
I love to grow things. Bet it is great for the kids that you work with. Nice garden. The squirrels sure ate well.
1 person likes this
celticeagle
@celticeagle (190011)
• Boise, Idaho
31 Aug 17
@TheHorse .....The squirrels?
The Horse
@TheHorse (238370)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 Aug 17
They really did. Now they gather around me as if I was St. Francis. Not.
1 person likes this
vanny
@vandana7 (102698)
• India
5 Jan 18
I owe you that chicken mesh thing though now I am not sure it will work.
1 person likes this
vanny
@vandana7 (102698)
• India
5 Jan 18
@TheHorse I wanted to know one thing. Like people in your world, don't you all have farms? I mean growing your own vegetables. I see many of the homes have just a yard but no vegetables are grown in them. Is it because of squirrels?
The Horse
@TheHorse (238370)
• Walnut Creek, California
5 Jan 18
I gave up on that garden and have since left that job (finding cuts). We're growing various kinds of peas at the preschool.
1 person likes this
Anna
@LadyDuck (502812)
• Italy
31 Aug 17
The corn looked healthy, what a shame the squirrels destroyed anything.
1 person likes this
Anna
@LadyDuck (502812)
• Italy
1 Sep 17
@TheHorse I remember that they destroyed everything.
The Horse
@TheHorse (238370)
• Walnut Creek, California
31 Aug 17
I used to remember what they ate first, and what was the last thing to survive. The corn looked great! But nothing made it. I think we did harvest a couple of green beans before ground squirrel armageddon.
1 person likes this
John Roberts
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
30 Aug 17
Squirrels can be unwelcome pests.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (238370)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 Aug 17
They really can. I don't mind tree squirrels so much...
1 person likes this
Scott Ganschow
@teamfreak16 (43668)
• Denver, Colorado
31 Aug 17
I saw your other photo below. That's quite a difference.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (238370)
• Walnut Creek, California
31 Aug 17
Yeah, we were watering every day, the kids and I, but it was no use.
1 person likes this
Kelli M
@spiderdust (14756)
• San Jose, California
31 Aug 17
How are ground squirrels and gophers different? I've been told we have gophers in our area, but you and I don't live that far apart.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (238370)
• Walnut Creek, California
31 Aug 17
Gophers are smaller. And I think their eyesight is really bad. You can sit right by their holes and watch them dig. We do that up at Borges Ranch. Ground squirrels live in bigger pastures and tend to stand up and peep at each other when danger comes. I bet you have ground squirrels in your fields around San Jose as well.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (238370)
• Walnut Creek, California
31 Aug 17
@spiderdust Have you seen their holes? Gopher holes are only about 3" wide. Ground squirrel holes are way bigger.
Kelli M
@spiderdust (14756)
• San Jose, California
31 Aug 17
@TheHorse We probably do. The ones I'm thinking about dig up the garden at home. My radishes and strawberries have suffered.
1 person likes this