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Rodent rampage
After three incredibly successful days working in the community garden I had big plans for a fab post, bragging about how amazing my kids are and how bountiful our crop will be. Then I came home. As I slowly maneuvered my car over and around the craters in my parking lot to my stall, I had an uneasy feeling about the sight before me. Something wasn't quite right about the landscape of my patio.
As I threw the first load of luggage on my couch I practically injured myself getting to my patio door. I was right. I knew something wasn't right. My plants were not in the condition I had left them. Apparently someone discovered my absence this weekend and decided to help themselves to the buffet laid out before them. Where my majestic lettuce had once stood tall, proud, and green were nubs of white stem cut clear to the soil. Every little pot of annuals scattered amongst my veggies were now plantless and barren. How dare them! How dare those ra... YOU! As I angrily watered what was left, tomatoes, onions, chives, and lemon balm, I saw a flash of a brown behind dart into the hole next to my patio. Not rabbits at all but some darn rodent living right next to me!
The nerve of this unknown critter. Helping himself to my hard work, MY harvest. He (or she) even took the life of my fern without considering what value it held in my heart. This particular fern, Adiantum tenerum 'Variegata', was from the conservatory of my alma mater. It held deep ties to four years of sweat and toil and that rodent munched it right away, probably without a care in the world.
No matter what we do as gardeners, no matter where we live we will be faced with obstacles. Apparently mine is some little critter living right beneath my feet. I wanted to give up, cry, call my mom and tell her all of the pots, soil, and plants she donated to my cause were a waste but I haven't. Instead I decided to use this fresh angst to write a blog post for all the world to hear my sorrow. If you have never experienced a loss of this kind, imagine going to your favorite restaurant and ordering your favorite item, see it come out the kitchen door and almost to your table where the waiter decides to eat it all and leave you nothing but crumbs.
Alas, my friends, I will move on. If I have learned anything from this, it is to never, ever, trust a rodent with unsupervised greens. I will be able to find other plants and I do have access to more than one garden this summer, so my summer won't be saladless but it was really disappointing to survey the loss after countless hours and a few precious dollars planting, watering, and fussing over the wee ones. There are still greenhouses open and the farmer's market is a mere block away so I will survive... and I will get even.
ps- I just looked out my door and guess what.... it's a baby bunny. No wonder he fit in the drain hole. Why are they so destructive and so darn cute? Maybe I won't get even, I'll just be more careful.