There are 2 small areas I am working with this year - and they each got some rodent living in the ground - some rodent that EATS ROOTS...and in the process kills the plant. Earlier this year - I could hear it sometimes in the early evening, as well as see the plant move - in this case beautiful healthy and healthy soil giving clover - now 98 % gone.
We have a rat terrier, Storm the Wonderdog, who was supposed to catch some, and he did actually, elsewhere. We do have a cat wondering about too. I considered some poisonous plant seed briefly, but then decided against that.
One of the little patches has some transplanted baby strawberry plants on it and the other day I also put some beans in the ground. So I decided to water the area really well. And it got soaked - in addition, I took the hose and watered any area that might have been missed - and then THERE IT WAS - grey wet rodent, best I can tell, a pocket gopher, coming out of the hole, getting air, trying not to drown ...slow moving and wet, it was under more splashing water - where was
Storm???????????????
I could have killed it - there is was, poor, grey, wet, cute creature - just doing what he was born to do. Without doubt a sentient being ... and there is no way I could have killed it.
Why? For one - how can I possibly kill this little furry creature? And secondly, I don't have the right to. I don't have a good reason to. Nothing I can think of would justify killing it.
If I really depended on those beans for my life - we'd have to talk - but I don't.
If I really depended on those beans to live, I might have to catch and fry it for food, but I don't.
If it was injured and suffering - it did not look like it.
If it carried some dreadful disease - I don't think so.
If the garden was totally overrun by them - but it isn't.
What constitutes real necessity to kill?
And it was cute too - and of course it got away.
...and of course, it finished off another bean plant the next day.
I figured I'll keep the area so wet that he'll move to another spot more to his liking. Not sure yet if it's working.
Showing posts with label garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label garden. Show all posts
Friday, June 25, 2010
Things I see in the Garden
Looking at my other blogs, this subject qualifies as not really fitting into those, so garden stuff will go here for the time being. To start with, here's most of what's on my webpage.
Why do I have a garden section here?
Because of a connection to the earth, plants and animals. All my life, nature has played an important role. In many ways, it made it possible for me to even stay here...on the planet. So – it's important to me.
I am very aware of different approaches in working and dealing with the soil and how to grow things and, having said that, I also need to acknowledge that the time, energy and resources I can devote to gardening is definitely very limited. The soil here get's baked in the summer and it's so hot and without rainfall for so long, it makes almost every plant die without watering. This too is a severe limitation. There is however a piece of land that I am working with.
So here is the idea: create garden beauty that in time will be self sustained with a minimum amount of additional water. I say beauty and I mean that, even though this garden may never look like it could win a contest.
It is an experiment. It will take years to develop. Here are some thoughts:
- Aim for healthy soil
- Aim for plant variety
- Work with what is there
- Accept beneficial plants that are given to you for whatever reason
- Accept what help shows up, for example seeds, money for planting materials, rice hulls....
- All plants get some help getting started, this includes watering and weeding
- If a weed takes over, it needs to be limited
- If a plants needs too much care, it will not make it here
- Watch and see what grows and what does not
- Find companion plants to those that do grow here
- Use everything possible from your garden to make compost
- Make the walkways the way that naturally evolve and are useful
Maybe it's like reinventing some wheel, don't know...it is what I am doing.
Why do I have a garden section here?
Because of a connection to the earth, plants and animals. All my life, nature has played an important role. In many ways, it made it possible for me to even stay here...on the planet. So – it's important to me.
I am very aware of different approaches in working and dealing with the soil and how to grow things and, having said that, I also need to acknowledge that the time, energy and resources I can devote to gardening is definitely very limited. The soil here get's baked in the summer and it's so hot and without rainfall for so long, it makes almost every plant die without watering. This too is a severe limitation. There is however a piece of land that I am working with.
So here is the idea: create garden beauty that in time will be self sustained with a minimum amount of additional water. I say beauty and I mean that, even though this garden may never look like it could win a contest.
It is an experiment. It will take years to develop. Here are some thoughts:
- Aim for healthy soil
- Aim for plant variety
- Work with what is there
- Accept beneficial plants that are given to you for whatever reason
- Accept what help shows up, for example seeds, money for planting materials, rice hulls....
- All plants get some help getting started, this includes watering and weeding
- If a weed takes over, it needs to be limited
- If a plants needs too much care, it will not make it here
- Watch and see what grows and what does not
- Find companion plants to those that do grow here
- Use everything possible from your garden to make compost
- Make the walkways the way that naturally evolve and are useful
Maybe it's like reinventing some wheel, don't know...it is what I am doing.
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