Rummaging through neighborhood trash for bagged leaves.
Resisting the urge to knock on these people’s door and explain the absurdity of putting leaves in plastic.
Shoving possibly disgusting bags of leaves into the back of your car.
Knocking on neighbor’s doors to ask if they treat their lawn with anything. Anything? Anything? ANYTHING?
Cross-examining them to determine if they are lying.
Hope their garbage cans don’t leak, (they do… they ALWAYS leak).
Picking off the bugs you missed the first five times and are now huge.
There are three green Cabbage Worms up there. (Look in the center of the stems.) If you don’t see them, it’s because they blend in like crazy, and make finding them the most tedious garden task ever.
Below is the Cross-striped cabbageworm—because why would one variety of cabbage worm be enough?
Resigning yourself to eating plants full of holes. (You can see the mustard greens at the very back have dedicated themselves to going to seed…the weather we’re having is crazy.)
Oh Victoria! LOL! Even my husband will get a kick out of this post. During our brief residence in Texas I was determined to grow a Victory Garden. I had the hat and the overalls in bright orange (I looked more like an escaped prisoner than a gardener). Anyway, after fighting with bugs which grew to be the size of a Volkswagon beetle (I had always wondered if there was more to the name then the shape of the car) Hubby kindly asked that we please, please buy our produce at the organic food stand a very short distance away. You go girl…keep fighting and you’ll at least have the satisfaction of knowing there isn’t any insecticide on your bug eaten cabbage. When I see the incredible gardens that they have attached to manor houses I have to wonder how many hours it takes the staff of 20 to keep things pristine.
Karen
Karen,
Why do I fight the bugs? They always win, I should just accept it! Not to mention the year we had a groundhog family make its home under our neighbor’s shed. We do have a fence, but it didn’t deter them at all. It literally made me crazy… To the point where I was reading about how to electrify your fence, and ranting to my husband about voltage and wattage and showing him diagrams… while he looked at me like I’d just escaped the asylum.
Sometimes people will say to me—wow, you must really love gardening. And the answer is no. No I do not. I DO like eating the stuff, but I do not like growing it.
p.s.- I think you need to post a photo of yourself in your Gardening Convict costume!!
I am serious about some things, but end up overwhelmed by the ongoing, never-ending tasks! A better gardener would have had those mustard greens out long ago and replaced with something else… whereas I look at them everyday with exhaustion and say—tomorrow. I’m like the Scarlett O’Hara of gardening.
I am reading your entire blog in a day. I had anticipated commenting at the end, but I so thoroughly love this post that I can’t wait.
That photo above: of a leg and arm (presumably yours?) encroaching on the neighbors bagged leaves?
Good Lord, that is perfect.
Yes… that’s my leg, getting ready to steal some leaves. This fall I’m planning to make an anonymous flyer to leave at people’s houses who bag their leaves in plastic.
It will be educational. AND shame them into not doing it anymore.
Oh Victoria! LOL! Even my husband will get a kick out of this post. During our brief residence in Texas I was determined to grow a Victory Garden. I had the hat and the overalls in bright orange (I looked more like an escaped prisoner than a gardener). Anyway, after fighting with bugs which grew to be the size of a Volkswagon beetle (I had always wondered if there was more to the name then the shape of the car) Hubby kindly asked that we please, please buy our produce at the organic food stand a very short distance away. You go girl…keep fighting and you’ll at least have the satisfaction of knowing there isn’t any insecticide on your bug eaten cabbage.
When I see the incredible gardens that they have attached to manor houses I have to wonder how many hours it takes the staff of 20 to keep things pristine.
Karen
Karen,
Why do I fight the bugs? They always win, I should just accept it! Not to mention the year we had a groundhog family make its home under our neighbor’s shed. We do have a fence, but it didn’t deter them at all. It literally made me crazy… To the point where I was reading about how to electrify your fence, and ranting to my husband about voltage and wattage and showing him diagrams… while he looked at me like I’d just escaped the asylum.
Sometimes people will say to me—wow, you must really love gardening. And the answer is no. No I do not. I DO like eating the stuff, but I do not like growing it.
p.s.- I think you need to post a photo of yourself in your Gardening Convict costume!!
You are a serious gardener. You make my attempts seem like nothing. Wow, and good for you!
I am serious about some things, but end up overwhelmed by the ongoing, never-ending tasks! A better gardener would have had those mustard greens out long ago and replaced with something else… whereas I look at them everyday with exhaustion and say—tomorrow. I’m like the Scarlett O’Hara of gardening.
I am reading your entire blog in a day. I had anticipated commenting at the end, but I so thoroughly love this post that I can’t wait.
That photo above: of a leg and arm (presumably yours?) encroaching on the neighbors bagged leaves?
Good Lord, that is perfect.
Your comment made my day. Truly.
Yes… that’s my leg, getting ready to steal some leaves. This fall I’m planning to make an anonymous flyer to leave at people’s houses who bag their leaves in plastic.
It will be educational. AND shame them into not doing it anymore.