Gardening continued .....

What goes into producing a $64 tomato?
I added up everything from the initial construction costs (to build the garden) right down to the Velcro tomato ties and a trap to catch groundhogs after my tomatoes.

A recent study said people are now abandoning pricey gardening for hardier, less expensive stuff. Good idea?
Sure. The more expensive the shrub, the more attractive it is to wildlife. [Laughs.] Deer ignore common boxwood or forsythia, but they nibble a $200 Emerald Green arborvitae to the ground in hours.

How do you keep out the wildlife?
I installed an electric fence. One groundhog was willing to absorb a 10,000-volt shock to get at my tomatoes. He’d get zapped, stagger a bit, shake it off like a quarterback absorbing a hit, and continue on.

What’s the best way to spend $10 on your garden?
When the urge to garden strikes, go down to your local bar and buy a martini instead. You and the garden will be the better for it. And if you have $50, hire someone to do an afternoon’s worth of weeding!