Gardening in the high country of the Anza Valley can be challenging. The elevation, unpredictable late spring storms and frost even in June can ruin a well-planned home vegetable garden beyond repair.Many residents have figured out how to outsmart Mother Nature and enjoy a successful harvest year after year. It takes dedication.Bud Elmore, who designs and tends a vineyard with additional vegetable plots and fruit trees, said, “Better not have a full-time-away-from-your-garden job, it’s a lot of work.”From tilling and amending the soil, to selecting what to plant, to fertilizing as the seedlings grow all involve planning.Protecting the crops from pests and predators is also paramount. Gophers, rabbits, mice, rats and squirrels attack new plants with great enthusiasm.
