The picture of the one and only bloom my Romneya produced this year is unrelated to this post, except that it is pretty and a refuge from some of the less attractive inhabitants of my tiny, desperately overcrowded garden.Lured out (rather too easily) from a housework day, by the warm sunshine, I have spent quite a bit of time and energy this morning trying to reduce the number of weeds in my jungle.
I know how much I've done, but I rather doubt anyone else would notice and I was just stepping back onto paving from the tangled flower bed when I felt/heard that most ominous of sounds, a crack followed by a squish,
Ugh! I have just stepped on a snail! Horror, disgust, pity, guilt, what a mixture of emotions.
For some inexplicable reason snails and their second cousins, slugs, turn my stomach to such a degree that I will avoid an area where I know they are to be found for days, weeks even.
A gardener friend picks them up and puts them in a heap then stamps on them with his gardening boots.
Nothing on earth would persuade me to follow his example. First of all, they have a right to live (i think), even though they are disgusting. Secondly killing anything fills me with guilt, and thirdly, I have no big gardening boots and even if I did have, would never be able to stamp on them.
Actually I fear there may be far worse things lurking in the terribly overgrown wilderness that was once a well-kept garden, such as mice or even rats.
Although it is almost certain we will have very few more such lovely warm days this year I just can't face going out there again today.
Does this put me in line for wimp of the year, or am I one of many?
Overgrown???? I've got foxes in mine! That's overgrown!
ReplyDeleteBut back to the slugs and snails - they just go to prove that God has a sense of humour. If He didn't, slugs & snails would eat weeds, wouldn't they?
I'm like you - I walk round the sluggy things. Our unwelcome visitors are deer. They poo too much and eat the tops off plants.
ReplyDeleteHmmm Nancy, I like your thinking, though I noticed you didn't comment on the wimp question.
ReplyDeleteNo need really!
Oh do I detect a fellow wimp Freda. So nice not to be in a minority of one.
ReplyDeleteI have never had a deer in this garden, but there was a regular Muntjac deer in my neighbour's garden in the early days here.
We did however, have both foxes and a badger.
The badger appeared in broad daylight and only ran when I clapped my hands.
I don't know who was more scared.
Ray, I go to lengths to avoid stepping on (or driving over) anything living, too. And, from a philosophical standpoint, I enjoy seeing everything that's out there in the garden. But practically speaking, sometimes one wants to give the creatures time to settle back into more obscure locations.
ReplyDeleteVery carefully chosen words Penny. Yes, I like the idea of letting "creatures settle back into more obscure locations".
ReplyDeleteSuch a pity they feel the need to travel.
Slugs I can cope with - but snails ...ew, they are just hideous!! That 'crunch' when you walk along the garden path early morning - and don't see it before it's to late - gives me the creeps big time!! Urgh!!
ReplyDeleteHi Jo. I agree. Quite revolting, though I dare say we would make a pretty stomach turning mess if stepped on by something/someone big enough.
ReplyDeleteThey just have no redeeming features that I can see.
Snails I rather like, as their shells can be so pretty, but I can see no purpose whatsoever in slugs, except as food for hedgehogs and other wild creatures. I put on my thickest gardening gloves and deposit both slugs and snails as far from my precious plants as I can get them.
ReplyDeleteUgh! How brave. You may have my share of snails too.
ReplyDelete