I love to plant a vegetable garden. This year I might try green beans, zuchinni and maybe peppers. Last year we had a huge hail storm that knocked everything down. I had planted cherry peppers, corn, eight ball zuchinni and cherry tomatoes. I have a short planting season, most of the vegetables are started as plants, except the tomatoes.  I planted these tomatoes from seed a couple of years ago and they have come up every year since then. I've been very lucky with those!

How do you keep the deer and squirrels away?

@nativecat WOW you sound like a great gardener! Hopefully the weather treats you good this year. THAT is super cool your tomato plants come back from year to year, I didn't know they would do that! Maybe you got a magic plant!!!

@ErinB we don't have an issue with deer since in town, but squirrels and birds I put red christmas ornaments on the plants before they produce and then the animals try to eat it, and realize they can't and when the time comes to have produce they steer clear. I use the non-breakable ornaments.

Also I hear if you plant marigolds around your plants it keeps deer and rabbits away due to the scent of the flowers!

@kapley, I have heard that about marigolds too! I think it would be so pretty with the vegetables to have a splash of color with the flowers.  I don't think the tomatoes are magic :), but they sure taste good!

I would have never though of red christmas ornaments.  I have heard of the water sprinkler head that has a battery operated "eye" that will go off when the beam is broken by an animal. I'm not sure of the whole operation.

@nativecat I agree it does add some flair to the look of things with the marigolds! I read the ornament trick in a Real Simple Magazine and I think it is a great idea! Never heard of the water sprinkler idea, sounds like it would work for sure!