Garden Pest

Last years garden was a year round disappointment. I was plauged with every malady known to the gardening world (and perhaps some that no one thought of). It was disappointing, frustrating and humbling though still peppered with miniscule victories that I gobbled up with the meager crops. The few ounces of basil and dill, a handful of cherry tomatoes.

I started out this year positively, thinking it will be so much better than last. I will make it better. I started early, made larger beds. We bought some citrus and experimented with both a new brands of seeds as well as some store sprouted plants. I bought more gardening books, joined a forum, asked questions and stuff my head with knowledge.

Organic gardening is hard. When problems occur, as they often will, you can't just run out to the store and buy a solution. Sometimes there just aren't any. You go out day by day and work your plots as best you can. There's a lot of praying involved. Much hope and, for me, many opportunities to be humbled. To learn that the way of life I want isn't going to give it up to me without a fight. I'm not a natural gardener and I know it but I want to be and I think sometimes that's enough to succeed.

So far this year, just two tiny months into it, I've had a good thing going. I've harvested about a dozen snap peas, about the same amount of cherry tomatoes, the bunny has gotten spoiled on clippings. I have sprouts shooting up full of life and promise.

Then I ran into a new garden pest they don't cover in books. One that sneaks off with fattening snap peas when you're not looking. Nibbles the spearmint and lemon balm. Eats the blueblueberries and strawberries when I'm waiting for them to turn the corner from almost to just ripe. I come out one day and everything I had hoped to find is gone, the bushes bare. It took me awhile to find this critter. There isn't a spray, powder, net or trap I can set to scare it off. It'll just come back for more, day after day, hour after hour. Even more frustrating is that I house it.

At least some of my frustrations hinge on this new garden pest I've found. I caught her outside today munching snap peas like candy without an ounce of remorse (though it did make me happy). I wonder now, how much of last years problems were caused by her. I've driven myself nuts thinking my garden is cursed! I berate myself thinking that I'll never be a good gardener, I'll never have a full harvest.

Then I realize, as I look at this garden pest pictured below, maybe my harvest is constantly coming in.

Emmy caught green handed with some snap peas.