Gardening in Cottage Country Part Two

By: Sharon Martin

Leopard or Great Grey Slug

If you guessed C in part one you are absoutely correct.

Where have all the flowers gone
Just planted yesterday
Where have all the flowers gone
vanished everyone
Where have all the flowers gone
gone to fat slugs every one
When will I ever learn, When will I ever learn

The dew had not even succombed to the morning sun when I exercised the right of every gardener "The Mornimg Walk a Bout" With coffee cup in hand my walk a bout soon turned into a disaster. Something or someone had given my vegetable garden a hair cut! A very neat haircut! Vegetable stumps were everywhere, sheared off about two inches from the top. My dreams of a Jiggs dinner complete with garden fresh vegetables vanished!

As I continued my walk a bout towards my flower garden, I met several beautifully striped slugs, slowly making their way towards the cool dark canopy of the grassy garden edge. Their slimy trail led straight to their dining table! Messy eaters! This was not the work of the neat haircutter in the veggie patch. Flower leaves and petals had new shapes, scalloped and jagged!. My half barrels had shallow tunnels in the earth and remnants of swollen nastursium seeds interrupted too soon, lay on the surface . I was puzzled These acts of gluttany were not the work of the same creature.

With a heavy heart, I came to terms with the fact my sweet peas were not going to be sweet and the sun flowers would not be a source of food for my winter birds.

Most gardeners are optimists and after the initial shock, I realized I had to live a complementary existance with the rabbits moose and slugs whose habitat was virtually invaded by retired city folk. We unknowingly dangle these delectable treats at their door step and assume they will look, not taste!

The war was on! I had the advantage. I had the greatest weapon of all. It would enable me to win this war without fatalities. It would allow me to grow and enjoy my flowers and vegetables without harming God's creatures. This weapon was fairly new to mankind. I was confident I could win this war. This weapon would assist me to keep these pests at bay and then and only then could I enjoy my morning "Walk a Bout".

Can you guess Who or What won the war?

Stay tuned next month for the answer.

+ Surviving Yesteryear : A Glimpse to the Past - New!
+ American Convair B-36
+ April in Newfoundland and Labrador
+ Autumn Reflections
+ Destination: St. Anthony Part One
+ Destination: St. Anthony Part Two
+ The Fighting Newfoundlander
+ Gardening in Cottage Country Part One
+ Gardening in Cottage Country Part Two
+ Gardening in Cottage Country Part Three
+ Geocaching in Cottage Country
+ Heritage Tree
+ The Jenniex House in Norris Point : A Must Visit
+ Kayak Adventure
+ Keeping a Pond
+ Lasagna Gardening in Newfoundland and Labrador
+ Memories of Pack's Harbour
+ Mummering on the Rock
+ NL's Super Food : The Wild Blueberry
+ Random Island Charter
+ Rare Birds
+ 'Tis May 24 & We Gotta Get Away...
+ The Resilient Poppy
+ There's Four in our Trio
+ Sad or Blue? Embrace Winter
+ Sandwich Bay Meets the Puffin Post
+ Setting Up Your Own Bird Cam
+ Winter Birds