Re-planting the Corn or Dolly so Needs a Pair of Sunglasses

I had mentioned in a previous post that I thought my corn rows had been raided. Well I was right, not one little corn shoot appeared. This had never happened before and it had to happen the year I decided to try growing baby corns. Those seeds are awfully expensive. Hope whatever critter ate them knew he was basically eating the caviar of corn.

Yesterday I decided to re-plant. I didn't have any baby corn, having used the last pack in another area (where the shoots are about 2 -3 inches high already). I did have my own corn seed left so I used that. It's very late in the season to be planting but I had four empty rows just sitting there. Along with the corn, I had enough room to plant the remaining beans and onions I had left over. And I still have an empty row. I think I'll plant lettuce mix there. Lettuce, like beans, grows very quickly so it should do ok. I figure the onions will do fine, too, they'll just be a bit smaller.

Well, if I was going to re-plant I figured I should get a scare-crow up. I'm hoping that will keep whatever ate the corn away. If the culprits are crows, it might work. If the culprits are raccoons, they'll have a good laugh as they eat my corn. I don't know if we have raccoons in the area. I suppose we must, having woods all over the place but I've never seen a raccoon around and they haven't bothered the chickens. I retired my scarecrow from last year so I made a new one. I wanted something that would move easily in the slightest breeze so I put an old dress on it. I gave it long, stringy plastic hair and hung aluminum pie plates off it. I figured I could try to make it look very human or very grotesque...I'm better with the grotesque. I have it holding a rake. I thought holding a gun, while being much more intimidating, might upset the neighbours. Besides, I don't have a gun handy. I gave it a Styrofoam square head and drew a face on it and promptly christened her Dolly. It almost looks like she's dancing. That was accidental; I couldn't tie the arm branch tight enough on the body branch. But it gives her a joyful air; like she's happy she's in the garden. I think she needs a pair of sunglasses and some big, long, high heeled boots (just right for kicking annoying little corn seed eating critters).


So Dolly's up and dancing in the garden. And hopefully my corn soon will be, too.