September 12th, 2011
That’s it.
I give up.
I’m done.
I’m going to rip everything out, scatter grass seed, and never garden again.
Or at least that’s how I feel. In a word: defeated.
Was it the weather?
First there was the super soggy spring. Then came what felt like months of blistering heat, followed by weeks and weeks of hurricanes and rain.
Or was it the dark armies of garden pests—the wilt-wielding cucumber beetles, the nectar-of-life-sucking squash bugs, the alien Mexican bean beetle larvae that transform into skeltonizing oversized yellow-spotted merchants of death? Or perhaps it was the stupid plodding stink bugs or the colonies of swarming ants. Did I mention the slugs? And forget about the green worms on my broccoli.
Forget about it—I’m done.
I’m guessing the weather had at least a little bit to do with my bugs. These swings in temperatures and conditions undoubtedly caused my poor plants much stress, and as we all know, stress affects overall health. Once the health of your plants is compromised, your garden falls easy prey to those garden-wrecking hexapods from hell.
I thought I had a handle on the bugs, what with my daily diligence of leaf inspection and insect-smashing. But once the rains set in, my routine collapsed and it all veered toward oblivion. And now I just want to rip it all out, plant grass seed, and be done gardening forever.
But there is a garden in my heart and I know several things:
Next year will be better, or at least different.
And:
To garden is to have a hand in Creation, to be a part of the giant wheel of the world.
Bugs and all.
Tags: cucumber beetles, garden pests, squash bugs
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Follow along as Organic Gardening’s online editor, Eric Hurlock, tries to maintain an organic garden while also balancing a career and a growing family.
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Comments
I just can back on size of the garden
I had to laugh when I read this because I say that every. single. year. That is part of why I don’t do a fall or winter garden. I need to take a break and give hope a chance to preen its feathers. I know things start to look up when I say things like, IF I were to have a garden next year, this is what I would plant.
Katherine, I love that phrase: give hope a chance to preen its feathers. Thanks!
I hate those little bugs. I hate it when we don’t get rain for six weeks and get those same little bugs for a double whammy. But I go out and squish them with my fingers and I get great satisfaction in squashing them. Some of my zukes and squash plants have actually survived and are starting to put fruit on in the fall. Oh yeah.
Never Never Never give Up – Churchill.
Hang in there. Good food is worth it.
My husband says that I’ve loved my garden into laziness. He believes that all my pampering and watering has impacted the garden in a negative way. This year, we’ve barely managed to harvest anything noteworthy. My 16 tomato plants selected for variety and hardiness? Produced less than 20 tomatoes. The squash? Zippo.
I’m so frustrated, I’ve seriously considered giving up. This was my second year seriously trying. I’ve spent as much as the farmers market, than if I hadn’t planted anything. And yet, I love being out there, soaking up the atmosphere and caring for the plants. Someday I’ll have a harvest worth remembering, then maybe I’ll know what I’m doing.
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