Just Another Relaxing Day in the Garden

  So I hear tell that gardening is supposed to be relaxing.  It gets you outside in the fresh air, gives a good bit of exercise and gives you a sense of accomplishment.  While all are true and all are good for your health, sometimes things can seem to be just the opposite.  Instead of relaxing, there times when the work is too strenuous, the smell of cow poop being used as fertilizer is rank and that sense of accomplishment goes right out the window.  Today....today.

  I needed more garden space than I had available since the seedlings in the greenhouse were outgrowing their tiny pots.  Recently, Son had created a "bog" for one of the clue hunts we hold each October.  This bog was nothing more than a terraced water garden lined with some heavy plastic.  The thing was still partially intact and needed some definite help.  He had the bright idea of renovating said bog into an herb patch.  Sounded good to me so we set to work.  As I cleaned out the "bog's" plastic lining and any remaining plants, he turned the soil and made rows. Each row was filled with a hefty layer of cow poop.  Smelly! The place looked pretty good after three hours of heavy labor.  That relaxing gardening bit was starting to be the furthermost thing from my mind.  I wiped beads of sweat from my brow and guzzled another glass of cool water.  

  Finally, one section of the terrace was ready for planting.  Son fetched a tray of seedlings from the greenhouse.  This tray contained hot peppers. Good enough.  They would occupy the first section of the garden.  He dipped buckets of water from the Frog Pond (added nutrients!) and filled each row with several inches of the murky water.  My job was to transplant the peppers.  No problem!  We made quick work of this part of the chore.  With my head bent near the earth (and the mixture of pond water and cow poop), I needed constant reminding that being outdoor breathing the (fresh) air is healthy!

  Then there was that sense of accomplishment.  Yep, we had completed one part of the terrace planting and it looked great!  The tiny pepper plants were all sitting perkily in their new beds and....wait a minute! Where were my plants???  I let out a gasp of disbelief.  Several of my freshly planted pepper plants were topped off and were laying flat on the ground!  Horrors!  Son and I surveyed the matter and soon found the culprit!  A cutworm had already lopped of three plants!  I lopped him. Smack! Squish! Ugh!  Stupid worm!  Groan!  I suppose by tomorrow morning more of my peppers will have met their demise at the hands...uh..jaws..mouths(?) of evil cutworms.  I will replant but will follow Pop's method of putting an tin can (both ends opened) around each plant.  Lets just see the cutworm chew through that!  

  Yep, gardening is relaxing.  Right...fun times in the backyard for sure!  Yep, I love it!