A Forlorn Farewell and Flowers and Foes

It was with a heavy heart that I drove to Chantilly early on Saturday morning to attend the final, last, ultimate sale at DeBaggio's Herb Farm and Nursery. I had unfortunately got the time wrong, turning up an hour too early, so drove to a store for electrical supplies and then returned. Alam, from work, was there, having also turned up early, my fault. He had never been here before but as a new house owner and avid vegetable grower, he was desperate for pots and soil to work with at the back of his townhouse.

 This wonderful nursery was a haven, a hidden paradise in a community of ugly residential homes, a plot of lush green foliage and colorful flowers. Today, the beautiful garden was barely visible, having been reclaimed by nature, the pond hidden by tall grasses. But it was still lovely. The brick barn stood resolute in the burning sun, casting a cool shadow on us shoppers below, and I stood, looking around, so dreadfully sad that this wonderful plot of land would soon be swallowed up by the McMansion community, the nursery bulldozed to make way for cheaply made, extortionately priced houses. I wished I was able to buy this plot and keep this little oasis safe, but all good things must come to an end. Nothing good lasts for ever, the circle of life keeps turning, and the owners were beginning a new life in Florida, leaving a busy life behind to now relax and enjoy their retirement.
I was here, because I'm having a hard time letting go. This year has been hell for getting decent plants, there are no comparable nurseries for miles, and I've dreadfully missed buying all my vegetables, annuals and perennials from DeBaggio's. So I'd come, likely the same as all the others, to grab some souvenirs of my favorite garden center.

 We were allowed to begin shopping at 9:00 and my mother decided to call about 10 minutes later. I know she wasn't impressed when I told her I wasn't able to talk just now and would have to call her back later. But this morning was important and I needed to focus. There were quite a few folks here so the goodies would go fast. DeBaggio's had certainly priced stuff to go and I really needed some more trellises. I got two! I would have liked more but didn't want to be greedy, so left some for others. I picked up a couple of ceramic pots for houseplants, some burlap to protect plants in the winter, a snow shovel, some small decorative fence borders to support my yarrow, a blue watering can for The Blue House and I was ecstatic to find a terracotta square dish. It had a couple of drainage holes which I later plugged with cork. I've been searching for one of these for a couple of years for a square terracotta planter that I have so this was my prize find. And I picked up a cat mint plant since the groundhogs had destroyed the last one I'd got the cats. I said goodbye and thank you to Francesco, wishing him and his family the best in their new life and with a heavy heart I plodded towards the car and left DeBaggio's for the last time. I helped Alam load up my car with his pots and then dropped them at his house. I had really hoped to be able to return to Debaggio's and save a few of the plants left in the ground for my own pollinator beds, hating the thought of them being bulldozed, but it wasn't to be. I hope their staff get to save these. Back home I unloaded my treasures and began preparing for the next day.
On Sunday I was up and in the front yard by 6:00am trying to beat the heat. My irises from WV had arrived over a week ago and I really needed to get them in the ground. I had to dig some trenches in my lawn so I decided to create shorter nursery beds and keep the plants relatively close to each other. This way if any don't make it I won't be left with large bare areas, and if they all survive then I can split them in a couple of years.

I began digging in one area and found the clay to be like concrete. On closer inspection I discovered I'd unearthed an ants nest. I left that hole and dug one near my lavender and then another near the entry steps. If they all make it to next year I'll extend the beds and put in some companion plants, day lillies, coral bells, black-eyed susan and salvias. I also split the irises by the front door and put a box out for free pick up, and then I was done. My clothes were completely soaked through by the time I'd finished, and that was just the heat and humidity. I'd been extremely fortunate in not having the sun blazing down on my back as I worked, but strangely enough once I was finished it made an appearance. That was my cue to scuttle indoors.
I have been enduring an ongoing issue with ground hogs now for about a month. Chonk was an occasional visitor but he went ahead and had a couple of offspring who have deemed my back garden to be their regular feeding ground. I caught them redhanded as babies a few weeks ago, but the damage was already done.

They had scoffed every vegetable plant I'd grown. Gone were my cabbages, spinach, celery, squash, brussels, radishes, beans, cilantro plus possibly others I've since forgot I'd planted. They also bit down my sunflowers. I cannot express the anger and frustration I felt, and have been feeling since. The air has been bluer than a summer sky. I chased them out, they'd been burrowing beneath my back fence under the cover of the ivy. The following weeks, almost on a daily basis, an ongoing battle has ensued. I initially plugged the holes with wood and rocks but when they simply pulled those out, I resorted to a trip to rural King, came home and staggered to the back fence with a large roll of barbed wire. This I rolled out in coils along the whole length of the fence. and this they still worked their way through. It became a routine where I would arrive home, see them, chase them out, and then roll out another length of barbed wire until anyone strolling in the cemetery would compare my back fence to a prison perimeter.

The little, (well not so little now), wretches have been living large and enjoying a most tasty diet at my expense. All I have left are my tomato plants, a few straggly basil plants and two ears of corn. They even chewed off my nasturtium flowers and leaves, leaving them in a pile on the ground underneath. They also did this to my dill. Twice. Most of my planters with annuals in have also been ravaged. I have nothing left for them to chow down on but the f***ers still come back. And I still lay down more wire, using rocks and stakes now to pin it in place. But I can't kill them, I'm not into winning by brute strength, this is now a battle of wits. I've considered trying to trap them, but am obstinate in that I want to win and consider myself to be queen of my castle without resorting to banishing them from their locality, just my kingdom. I will win eventually...