Day 191 – Struggle

It’s been an exceptionally harsh year, weather-wise, not just in our neck of the woods, but everywhere it appears.  But in my area, where the growing season is already abysmally short and precipitation is always in short supply, our mild, bone-dry winter has unleashed a torrent of all kinds of burrowing and nibbling creatures.  Rabbits, voles, squirrels and other such creatures are laying waste to gardens all over our part of the state, from above and below.  Our yard is no exception, and even our “desert hardy” bed has been decimated.  We try planting and within a week the plants are gone.  A rose-bush I planted out front was pretty much razed. The Mexican primrose and other flowers, usually left alone, have been mowed to the ground.  It is beyond depressing.

One little plant is bravely trying to make a comeback.  In the midst of sand and gravel, there is this one little flower.

I have no idea how long this one will last.

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11 comments

  1. Hi Carissa,
    I totally sympathize with your plight – We have lived out here in the desolate Fernley Highlands before it was the Fernley Highlands) with the sagebrush & coyotes since 1975. Looking back over the years I can remember when we had a garden with corn, beans, zucchini, tomatoes and assorted flowers. Then , as neighbors slowly moved in around us we seemed to not be able to grow much as the WIND, rabbits, chipmunks, and other nibblers literally mowed everything to the ground like in a silly symphony cartoon…
    Everything changed for us this year, a family of cats found their way to my citadel – 2 young tom’s one mama who had 5 babies under my old Karmann Ghia – anyway so I caught them and took to Humane Society & they spayed & neutered them so I could keep them safe & fed. Well, my reward – the kitty’s took care of the other vermin (60 pigeons – gone) rabbits & chipmunks – gone. I now have a garden with morning glories, sunflowers hollyhocks etc. that are not being eaten to the quick… ok, you suffered thru this self indulgence long enough – in short I don’t know how to help your Quaking Aspens – some of mine seem to be losing their leaves, yet those damned Cottonwoods & Locust trees seem thrive…
    Judy

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    • What? The coyotes didn’t kill the cats? They live outside? I wouldn’t dare let our kittehs outdoors. And our dogs appear to be no match for the burrowers, even in the backyard.

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      • I have to believe that a cat who spends most of it’s time outside is a faster, smarter, and more agile creature than any coyote and in most cases can evade a mauling.

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        • You would think so, but then I could tell you about the black cat on our work property whose carcass I nearly stumbled over the other day (a victim of the coyote family living there).

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