My Garden is Dying

Or so it seems. I looked out tonight and noticed that my tomato plants, so green and promising just a few weeks ago, are starting yellow. The bush beans don't look too good, either. Some things are at least sprouting, but I was really counting on the tomatoes. They're one of my favorite vegetables and grew like wildfire last year. I had hoped for the same result this year. Perhaps they will recover, with some care.

I don't think it's due to over watering, but I can't be sure. We've had a lot of rain, lately. The clouds are hinting that we'll get more tonight. There was a cold snap, and snow about a week and a half ago so the frost monsters may be to blame, but not for all of it.

In at least one box, dandelions have invaded beyond reason. I had to dig most of it up just to get them out, and I still don't think I got the roots from all of those evil buggers. The weed damage is so bad that I think we've lost all of the lettuce, and maybe the cucumbers. The onions aren't very happy, either, but I think at least a few of those plants will survive.

There are many dandelions left in the walkways, but I'm too tired right now to deal with them all. I just wish I had more than a few hours on the weekends to tend to my garden. Then, just maybe, I could fend off the little beasts, better. They're like evil alien spores from outer space. The Triffids had their day, but dandelions are forever.

Isn't that a a film by Albert R. Broccoli? It should be.

If you want to talk to me about saving the planet and the beautiful balance of nature right now, just keep this in mind. I'm a mammal of the genus Homo Sapians. The top predator species in the food chain. Nature has gifted me with a big ol' brain and an ornery disposition, too. Don't think that because I'm living an agrarian lifestyle that I've forgotten my hunter/gatherer roots. I'm tapping my primitive instincts and killin' me some weeds.

Other species are allowed to follow their instincts. Why not me?

Now if our big brains could just develop a weed killer that doesn't kill vegetables, I could go back to being a peaceful, poisonous, agrarian.

Photo by Jonathan Reitz