Hello, I'm Rudolph and new to the garden. I do have green space around me, but I don't get into the nitty gritty of what goes in to make life grow and the systems which work toward that.

I am making my first computer game and as a beginner I am searching for inspiration to brainstorm it a little more inventive than just guesswork. I would like to set the scene above ground in a garden with prized vegetables, which need to be protected from pests and even jealous so called "friends", it's nothing fancy, but it's a concept.

If anybody has any funny stories about snails, or beets, anything really, I would definitely appreciate it, there must be so much to learn.

Thanks guys !

I am researching into growing nuts, although with Chestnuts as common as Hazel nuts, I didn't manage to confirm how long a tree would take to grow before blossoming?

Has anybody got any experience growing nuts from seedling please?

I'm surprised nobody answered you about struggles with pests in the garden. That's what being a gardener is all about: fighting the endless war against nature, while still maintaining a good attitude and sense of humor.

Here are some garden enemies for your game. Squirrels, chipmunks, gophers, moles, mice, cutworms, slugs, chickens, rabbits and skunks love to dig and ruin young plants. Deer, squirrels, birds, and raccoons love to eat the mature plants, berries, and vegetables. Bad neighbors can steal your produce, but good ones can water the garden for you if you're gone. Pets can be friends or enemies of the garden. Dogs dig up plants and generally wreck things, but they also chase away deer and other critters. My cat loves to roll in the dirt and squish little plants, but he also eats so many rabbits and squirrels that his destructive tendencies are forgiven.


I don't have a specific answer about the nut trees, but I would speculate that it takes ten years or so to get some nuts, and even more time to have a large harvest. I would think that nut trees might take a little bit longer than fruit trees to bear a good crop.

Rubi said:I'm surprised nobody answered you about struggles with pests in the garden. That's what being a gardener is all about: fighting the endless war against nature, while still maintaining a good attitude and sense of humor.

Here are some garden enemies for your game. Squirrels, chipmunks, gophers, moles, mice, cutworms, slugs, chickens, rabbits and skunks love to dig and ruin young plants. Deer, squirrels, birds, and raccoons love to eat the mature plants, berries, and vegetables. Bad neighbors can steal your produce, but good ones can water the garden for you if you're gone. Pets can be friends or enemies of the garden. Dogs dig up plants and generally wreck things, but they also chase away deer and other critters. My cat loves to roll in the dirt and squish little plants, but he also eats so many rabbits and squirrels that his destructive tendencies are forgiven.


I don't have a specific answer about the nut trees, but I would speculate that it takes ten years or so to get some nuts, and even more time to have a large harvest. I would think that nut trees might take a little bit longer than fruit trees to bear a good crop.

Hi Rudi, sorry for the late reply, I didn't notice!

I have been working on several of the animals you have suggested, planning to use squirrels, moles, mice and slugs. I have so far sketched the ones I plan to use out, but need to spend more time on them before digitising them, which I hope to begin this week.

The idea of using pets as friends is a good one, I planned to make cats and dogs available after completing bonus levels, but not that far along yet, I still have to make the game function first.

At first I will need to stay within the gardeners own garden, but plan to bolt on new areas as your reputation grows and other gardeners ask you for help with pests.

In the end I settled on Chestnuts, of which I can make the game look as though he's had the tree for ages ;)

I have attached my final spider model which is the front facing view, before digitisation, let me know what you think please.

It sounds like it will be fun!
As far as garden foes go, we have had the deer, elk, rabbits and the worst can be the javelinas, which are the feral pigs. When they come by it smells like we have skunks around! They like to dig up roots, so the other animals eat the top of the plants, and the pigs eat the roots. It's a constant battle. High fences aren't enough. The deer and elk jump the fences. Electric fences don't work as some animals get used to it and don't care.

That sounds a little drastic for the UK, but I plan to add later levels (other garden), so why not fields?

It definitely sounds like a more boisterous affair than dealing with squirrels.

Thanks for the tip!