"Round 2"

I am very happy to report that we haven't had anymore critters of the four legged variety snacking on the vegetable garden under the cover of darkness (touch wood) since my declaration of war, either they got wind of it and were scared off or the fence mending is working.

 

However, we have not been able to harvest any strawberries this year.  The plants are really healthy and there are plenty of green berries but we never seem to get a ripe one. Visions of rows of homemade strawberry jam lining my shelves are rapidly decreasing.  So it's on again - Round 2 - this time the culprits are of the feathered kind.  

 

Strawberries so close to rippening

 

Armed with some recently purchased bird netting (these are going to be  expensive strawberries), a gazebo frame that we weren't using for anything in particular, some shadecloth twine and a needle, I let my creative side run wild.  (Just a quick question - Can this be considered a crafty project? I mean, it did involve a needle and thread and an idea???)

 

The end result - bugger off birds they are mine!

 

This is what I came up with and even remembered to make an opening to get in for my anticipated berry picking.  This morning, on my way back up from feeding the horse, I saw "the said birds" pulling on the netting trying to get in, hmmm, might need to weight it down with a few more bricks. 

 

It's now day two, the strawberries are turning red and I reckon I'll be picking this afternoon (fingers crossed).  There is one more gazebo frame that I will give a similar makeover to, which I plan to use to protect the tomatoes.  Just wait and see how this one works first as I may need to make a few modifications - so the trial begins............