BAD GARDEN

Bad Garden Editorial

Growing up with a family full of green thumbs you’d think I could grow a few fresh tomatoes! This isn’t the case however. As the only member of my family who hunts, I guess you’d say that while most of my family have a green thumb, I have a red thumb. They harvest what they grow, I harvest what I hunt. My summer vegetables have always been on tap, and at little or no cost to me. Sure, I’ve always helped my dad or grandpa out where I could, but for the most part they’ve done all the work. Eating the juiciest tomatoes, the sweetest corn, and the tenderiest green beans has always just a part of summer, with each produce variety replacing the next like summer sign posts marking the season. Time goes by slower when you’re younger, but as you grow older there never seems to be enough of it. I should have taken this into consideration when I decided to put my first vegetable garden in at my parents’ house. Earlier this year I realized my dad was boycotting any and all gardening involvement. This meant if I wanted homegrown produce, I would have to grow it myself. It wasn’t until the majority of the hard work was out of the way that I found out why I was growing the veggies instead of my dad: the squirrels. Things started off well in garden. Picking out what to plant and where to plant it was almost a family event. At first, watering didn’t seem to be such a chore, but then summer kicked in to high gear. Finding the time to really soak the ground was scarce. Then, just as everything was looking better, the squirrels started in on the tomatoes. Just like the pecans at my house, the cocky rodents would cut the tomatoes green, before they had a chance to ripen. Once the tomatoes were gone I pretty much gave up. I look back and blame everything on the squirrels, but it’s probably just the red thumb in me coming out, looking for an excuse to take up eating tree rats. It was a bad garden anyway.

Reed Boettcher - Editor

Tamed Wildlife: This doe didn’t spook the entire time I was watering the garden, on this particular day. In fact, I thought she might come drink from the hose. The vegetables didn’t stand a chance with the high number of deer and squirrels. The only thing I can seem to grow are onions, sunflowers, and two beautiful daughters (Isabell & Lydia). Photos By: Reed Boettcher

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