Gardens... A War Worth Fighting

I love my garden. I really do. I love it so much that I am constantly defending its honor and battling every day for its' right to survive and thrive. From whom, perchance, am I defending its virtues?

It appears that my garden has many other admirers. Perhaps I'm old fashioned, but I am more the monogamous type. While I don’t mind visitors now and again, I cannot stand by to idly watch faux-friends and would-be lovers defile its beauty and undermine its health and well-being. I am the garden's true love and will battle all who set out to hurt it. If its war they want, its war they got.

I am at war with the cucumber beetle. I am also battling the squash beetle, aphids, ants, and the cabbage looper. These are actual evil-doers whose primary purpose in life is to destroy my garden and my spirt. Last year, they won a battle by decimating my melons, squash, and pumpkins. They weakened my eggplants, laughed at my bell peppers, and made my tomatoes cry. By the time I figured out what was going on, it was too late.

However, that was only a battle, and this is a war. My garden is an organic beauty. No Miracle Grow crosses over its deer fence. And with a little help from my friends – that being YouTube channels Nancy and Hollis' Homestead, The MI Gardener, and The Rusted Garden (I do need to give credit where credit is due), I have learned what organic weapons to use in this year’s battle.

Honestly, earlier this week, I had severe doubts. After battling the dreaded cucumber beetle, which at first I thought was a potato beetle (remember, I'm still learning), I felt smug as it appeared that I had knocked them out for the count. I then spied a squash beetle on the pumpkins and nearly had a panic attack – they were the demise of my garden last year. After getting over the initial shock, I went back to my YouTube trusted friends and set out a new strategy to crush the squash pest! All was looking good. Armed with peppermint and rosemary spray, cold-pressed neem oil, and diatomaceous earth, I felt like a Queen. I sang We Are The Champions to my lettuce.

Until yesterday. I saw a summer squash plant infested with aphids and ants. And, my cauliflower was plagued with cabbage loopers. I thought I would lose it – and I mean my mind and the plant! Was I doomed?

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a tiny flying orange insect with black spots. There was a second and a third. I saw three more after that. Lady Bugs - a garden's friend! There were also tons of bees pollinating the vegetable flowers. Everything else looked so damn good. I picked cucumbers, string beans, lettuce, pea pods, a few beets, some banana peppers, bell peppers, and some bok choy. With some pep in my step, I got a start on eradicating the ants, and aphids, and treating the plants with BT to get those cabbage loopers.

Finally, it dawned on me that this is a war that will have no end. It will be a constant battle, and every year I learn more and more. Like so many things in life, you must put in the work, acquire the knowledge, and have faith and dedication to reap the rewards. So to all you intrepid gardeners out there, Happy Gardening! And for those who are not, grab a spade and a plant. It may be a rocky ride, but so is life. Live it.