The gophers took over the last raised beds I built. Time to show them who’s boss!

I was reluctant to put chicken wire under all of my old raised beds, and within a few months the gophers had discovered the bounty. Discouraged and annoyed, accompanied by occasional feelings of guilt, I decided to take on the project again. This time the gophers wouldn’t get the best of me.

I recycled the cedar fencing I had used for the original three boxes, and turned those into two boxes with legs, and a floor in each one. I suppose the gophers wont climb out of the ground and into the beds. But, honestly now I am not so sure. As I was building the second bed last Friday, one of my neighbors from up the street warned me they are known to do such things! I am still in the “this won’t happen to me” phase. Time will tell.

Attention Gophers! Heed my warning! Stick to the ground, and you are safe. Disturb my raised beds, and you will most certainly be met by an untimely death, and be transported to the Great Dirt Pile in the Sky. Or, the great dirt pile in the back yard.

Here is the second raised bed with newly planted peppers. This is my experiment combining French Intensive, Square Foot Gardening, Hügelkultur, and raised bed gardening all in one! Purple Bells in the back, Jalapeños in the middle, Habaneros in the foreground. I’m expecting a Pepper Forest, and suppose pruning will be in my future.