Wednesday, May 10, 2017; Marigolds, okra and Skimmer Level

I took my weekly walk through the Missouri Botanical Garden (MoBot) this morning. I noticed in their vegatable garden, they had their kale, chard and lettuce beds ringed with both marigolds and impatiens. Last year, after the rabbits started chewing on our Swiss Chard, I planted marigolds and we had no other issues all summer long. Looking on-line today, many sites down play the notion that marigolds will repel rabbits.

Anyway, I stopped by the local Lowe's and picked up 24 marigolds (12 of two different colors) which I brought home and used to ring the area where I have planted the Swiss Chard. Even if the marigolds don't repel the rabbits, maybe their appetite will be satisfied before they reach the chard.

I also picked up some 1/2" PVC fittings so that I can relocate the water level valve in the pond skimmer. Its current position is on the pond side of the screen, is not amendable to being adjusted and holds the water level too high. The new arrangement moves the float into the skimmer chamber where the pump is located, which eliminates the potential for the pump to lose suction just due to plugging of the skimmer screen. It is also holds a lower pond level and makes possible small adjustments to the level to be maintained.

I was planning to wait until I returned from Houston at the end of next week before I planted the okra outside, just to be sure it did not get too cool for them. I went ahead today and planted all three. I put them in the same general area we had the ones last year that yielded so much fruit.