Gardening is like war. Actually I don’t know much about what war is like so maybe I should take that back. But just when you think you’re winning the enemy changes tactics!!
As always, this year’s gardening problems have been different to last year’s.
Slugs have been well under control – whether this is my diligent squashing and hurling over the back fence, the ‘Nemaslug’ (TM), or just the weather, I’m not sure.
Caterpillars have been back but some netting and, again, diligence in squashing or otherwise disposing of them (sometimes lopping off an infested branch or two) has kept them mostly at bay.
But this year we had blackfly. LOTS of blackfly early in the season. And various other mites and mysterious things that choose to nibble specific plants.
Weedwise, I’m not sure if there’s been less creeping cinquefoil, or if I’m just less bothered by it. But some strange new grass is running rampant along with something that my lovely wife assures me is called ‘vetch’ and which she seems mostly unbothered by.
Some of nature’s tactics haven’t changed. White rot came back – which is especially ‘grrr’ – and blight hit us towards the end of season. But mostly, with a bit of hard work, we’ve had a good and more varied crop this year.
I wonder what the enemy will try next year?!