garden therapy

i live and work in paradise.

this side of Paradise, i realize there will always be pests, rodents, and the like.  last year, it was woman vs. squirrels and slugs to the point of this woman's blood pressure rising.

this year, i have energy only to invest in enjoyment; that is of people and things that bring said blood pressure down to a resting and easy pulse of joy.

the garden.  well, from what i've learned, the more soil health and variety of plants, the better.  i added in more pollinator mixes of various flowers that attract bees to the vegetable areas and intermixed everything.  if surrounding critters have enough they don't need to eat ours too.  i decided to only do what i enjoy and not enter into a losing battle.

the first thing i did was take down the bird, aka squirrel, feeders.  there's plenty in spring and summer for them.  this will hopefully deter them from climbing the outdoor wall and continuously landing on the plants below in their acrobatic quest for seeds and nuts.

the second thing i did was let the chickens out to free range beside me.  because they're cute and i enjoy them.  i spread bark chips for garden paths and let them "spread" it as they do, kicking it back with their feet and looking for bugs in between taking dust baths.  smile.

the third thing was to remember to go back to the joy of gardening that i started with all those many years ago.  

yes, i will buy copper tape to surround vulnerable plants and protect them from slugs.

yes, i will put up some wire and netting around the carrots and armenian cucumbers.

but that's it!  that and i'm only planting things i actually like to eat.  i'm not sure why i planted zucchini for so many years when what i really like to eat is delicata squash.

i'll let you know how it goes.

because life is to be enjoyed, my friends!  get thee out into nature for free therapy...