When we turned the soil we found several potatoes from the winter we'd overlooked and many ants. The helpful nurseryman said the ants wouldn't harm the crop: "I certainly wouldn't treat them -- you'll be eating those, you know". He added that a good dousing would scatter them.

My friend Dale agreed. "Ants hate water." He recommended a slow drip from a hose placed where the ants congregated, but warned that it would probably just relocate them nearby rather than get rid of them.

We planted the corn and peppers a bit closer together than recommended. We'll train them away from each other if possible. The multi-colored peppers should be particularly beautiful. They always look so lovely in the supermarket.

We need to watch the water this year, too. The sprinklers don't quite cover the area like they should. We'll need to hand-water.