Winter Garden

So I'm trying my hand at gardening again. I figured that since it doesn't ever really get cold here I could try and grow some cool weather crops, peas and lettuce. I'm tired to buying lettuce at the grocery store. So hopefully I will soon be growing it on my porch. I planted flowers a couple of weeks ago and had them out on the balcony and as soon as they started coming up something ate every single one of the shoots. I'm blaming it on the pesky squirrel that likes to hang out near my house. May my lettuce and peas have a better life than the flowers I planted.