It’s the last week of summer, and a bit late to begin planting seeds. But I have an empty planter on the front of my porch, and that just doesn’t seem right!

I have been collecting seeds from the nasturtiums and marigolds at home, and I brought them to the cabin. It is still so warm, I think there is plenty of time to start a new flower bed.

I am concerned about the deer, because the flower box on the porch is not protected with fencing like the vegetable garden beds are. So I did some research on the Internet.

Apparently deer will eat just about anything. Especially fawns, who are learning what foods are best. The diet of deer depends on the habits of the herd and how desperate they are for food.

Surprisingly, however, I discovered that nasturtiums and marigolds are not some of their favorites. So I decided to try an experiment. I planted my seed collection this morning, in a sunny, unprotected location.

First I put down a layer of planting soil over the existing soil. After planting the seeds, I covered the surface with dried oak leaves, which are in abundant supply, to slow down the birds. Then I soaked the soil. I love experiments!