Can We Talk 2

Mother Nature

         Mother Nature is a very strong woman and not very nice, no matter how pretty. The woodchucks ate every bloom in my small garden patch last night. The deer have grazed all the hostas down to the ground, but won't eat the voodoo plant. I can't get rid of the voodoo plant which spreads its roots underground and pops up elsewhere. I picked 55 the other day and 10 more today. It's been a two year battle.

         My blackberries are picked clean, not even red ones remain. The leaves are still intact, so I think the birds got those. I have lots of plants in pots as well. The roma tomatoes on my deck stairs were just turning red and appeared to be safe. Yesterday when I was carrying water from the rain barrel to dry plants, I noticed two of the three in a bunch were missing. No one had been in my yard. The deer will go up the wheel chair ramp on the other side, but not these steps. A few hours later, the third one was gone. I checked the ground underneath, nothing. Birds would beck at them, not carry off a rather sizeable roma. However, I have had a lot of black birds, even a few crows lately. They may be big enough to pluck a whole tomato and abscond with it. No other animal would have climbed that high and gotten the tomato off the cage in daytime with two humans running nearby.

         Then there's the ants. They're everywhere. We fight the ones inside with constant cleaning and bait to attack the colonies. Outside, they're on the brick wall, the outdoor benches, the rocks around the flower beds. I have to get rid of them before I can kneel to do the weeding. The sprays and the powders don't seem to affect them.

         I will say that I have particularly enjoyed the petunias this year. They take a lot of attention, but they are rewarding.

         I resolved the missing tomato problem. Squirrels. A green one was on my railing half eaten. It finally hit me, the squirrels run down the railing when I come out to chase them away from the bird feeder (squirrel proof). This roma tomato plant was on the platform in the stairs and leaned against the railing. Squirrels can hang upside down to eat. I am confident the tree rats have stolen my tomatoes. I have moved the plant a little, and am going to go shopping for netting. Aug. 4