“There is no gardening without humility. Nature is constantly sending even its oldest scholars to the bottom of the class for some egregious blunder.”
— Alfred Austin
Gardening.
Sigh.
When you’re a gardener, there are some years that are just . . . tough.
Things happen, and despite our best intentions and plans, our gardens suffer as a result. When that happens to me, (as it does) I end up just . . . writing the the whole thing off, and hoping for a better year next year. Like the summer of 2007 when we got a puppy (that would be Jenny), for example, and she trampled, chewed, and dug up nearly every plant in my garden. Or the summer of 2016 when my mom was ill and dying, and I was too absent (in more ways than one) to tend my garden.
Or . . . this year – 2022, as it turns out. (I’ve decided to call it The Year of Extenuating Circumstances.)
Oh, things started out well, sure. My garden had its fine, early moments back in May and June. But . . . then my garden endured 2 1/2 weeks of our exterior “renovation” and painting project in July. It wasn’t terrible, but definitely disrupted things. Then it was ravaged by deer in September, which was heartbreaking. Then came my Covid experience, and I wasn’t really in the mood to do much of anything – let alone fall garden chores – for weeks. And now? Well . . . (I haven’t even told you about this one) we’ve got the roofing-project-from-hell going on here (now HELD OVER for the 4th big week!), and it has been a disaster for everything garden-related (and my very soul, but oh well).
(Look! The deer missed a few oakleaf hydrangea leaves!)
So as of this week, I’m officially writing off . . . My Garden of 2022. Due to Extenuating Circumstances. The fall chores will remain undone. The remaining weeds will be there to plague me come spring. The transplanting will wait. The time to assess the damage from the roofers will come later. (Please let them be finished before I have to invite them to Thanksgiving dinner.)
Some years are like this.
But we gardeners are optimists!
There’s always . . . next year . . . to look forward to.
“Gardening simply does not allow one to be mentally old, because too many hopes and dreams are yet to be realized.”
— Allen Armitage
PS — For the record . . . the flag-fence continues to do its job. No deer – or deer poop – sightings in my garden since Tom installed the flag-fence. (And we’ve seen plenty deer out and about in the front yard and neighborhood, including an 8-point buck!)
I’m sorry this year has been so disappointing but maybe it’s better that all the extenuating circumstances happened together in one year. Here’s hoping that next year will be much better and free of deer, renovations, covid, and roofers.
P.S. The fall color in your garden is still beautiful!
Spring will come and you will make all well again. I think it will be even sweeter than usual when everything blooms because you came through the hard parts.
Our garden really suffered this year because we had a terrible drought just when everything was at its finest. Next year I will be more in tune to what is going on, hopefully.
When we had our roof redone years ago — and a BIG re-do, ripping off two layers of asphalt & the ORIGINAL wood shingles in order to install plywood, tarpaper & finally new shingles) — all that aforementioned crap landed wherever they dropped it. I thought for sure that everything was completely destroyed… so imagine my delight the next spring when it all popped up again! Hoping the same for you!!!
When we had our roof redone years ago — and a BIG re-do, ripping off two layers of asphalt & the ORIGINAL wood shingles in order to install plywood, tarpaper & finally new shingles) — all that aforementioned crap landed wherever they dropped it. I thought for sure that everything was completely destroyed… so imagine my delight the next spring when it all popped up again! Hoping the same for you!!!
Here is a moment of hope: in my first-ever vegetable garden, last week I planted some garlics that I got at the grocery. Then I read that garlic you buy at the grocery store is probably treated not to sprout. I figured I’d just get the ‘good’ stuff the next time I was somewhere where they sold the good stuff. Well guess what is now growing in the garden! MY FIRST CROP.
I’m sorry it’s been a difficult year for your garden but I know that you will return it to it’s gorgeous state next year! And also, what the hell with the roof? It seems very unusual to have it take so long.
I hope you will spend this winter thinking up all the wonderful things you will do in the garden next summer to make up for this year’s being somewhat of a bust! I will keep my fingers crossed that the roof project wraps up quickly. I thought of you this morning while I was out on a run — I saw a very confused deer running through someone’s front yard!
I can only imagine how hard it is for you to write off this gardening season, and it sounds like a soul-saving shift. Good luck and best wishes for the roof!
So good to hear there’s a win, at least–the flag-fence! That’s huge.
Okay, I confess I burst out with a laugh at inviting the roofers to Thanksgiving Dinner. Dear heavens, I hope they are LONG done by then.
My heart aches for your ravaged garden… but spring will return!
Every year we say next year will be better and we believe it! All your exterior work will be done this year and next year you’ll have the deer at bay. I foresee the year of 2023 as most excellent for your garden (and you!).
I am glad the flag fence is keeping the deer from destroying so much of your beautiful garden. Spring will come around again and with it hope for a better gardening year.