I plant a vegetable garden every summer. Now every year I attempt to grow the same crops from packaged seeds — cucumbers, squash, lettuce, arugula and radishes. Of course, some years I am more successful than others and then there are some years when I am more adventurous than other.
I tried corn again this year. I’m not sure why — it starts growing thin stalks right away, but then either we get a huge rain storm that washes the plants away or one of our neighborhood animals decides he needs a midnight snack. I’m not sure why they eat corn stalks that don’t have any corn growing, but whatever.
This year I ended up with two good-sized corn stalks. And I was pretty hopeful that they would make it through the season and maybe I’d get an ear of corn.
And look they were getting pretty substantial, and that might be a tiny ear of corn growing!
I was pretty proud of my two corn stalks!
But then I went out into the garden this morning and found this:
Yes, those are my beautiful green corn stalks, neither beautiful nor green anymore, dumped on the ground and the stalk is totally mowed down! You can’t even tell where it was growing anymore! OK, I know where because I was using that green garden stake to prop up the top-heavy stalk.
Now while I get annoyed when wild animals eat my vegetable crops, it’s all part of the circle of life. What does piss me off is when these critters knock down my plants and then can’t be bothered to eat the whole thing! You wasted good tasting corn stalk, buddy!!
And this is why I shouldn’t ever get excited about planting corn or carrots — some animal always comes along and thinks it’s a grocery store. At least my tomatoes are still there!
OK, now I’m definitely going outside with a flashlight to make sure no one has touched them…
Notes from a Self Quarantine 