Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?
– Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) in Raiders of the Lost Ark
I have issues with things that slither. Even the word slither makes my skin crawl.
So when I wander around my garden, the garter snake that has taken up residence there freaks me out every time it moves. For example, this morning I went out and picked some strawberries for breakfast. After that I wandered into the hoop greenhouse to check on my tomatoes. Mister Garter Snake slithered out from underneath a giant sage plant, and I squeaked a pathetic little squeak, and almost threw my strawberries all over the hoop. After composing myself, I ran away like a complete sissy. It was just sad.
Clearly, I’m not a “real” gardener. Real gardeners would say, “oh a garter snake, I love those because they eat [pick some horrible noxious pest].” Apparently, the eating is good in my garden. From the holes in the leaves of my pepper plants, I know something is eating my plants. And Mister Garter Snake is undoubtedly eating whatever is eating the plants. There’s a whole ecosytem happening in my hoop greenhouse, but I’m not sure I really want to know all the nuances of it.
Let’s face it. I’m a total gardening wimp. I love the outdoors, and I love furry mammals, but I don’t like reptiles or bugs. Worms gross me out too, since again, they slither. Eww.
Having issues with worms is really poor form in gardening circles. Even the most novice gardener knows that you WANT a garden teeming with worms everywhere. Those little guys are making healthy wonderful soil that plants love. Yes, my garden is teeming with worms. And you’d better believe I don’t get near it without gloves on 😉
And in much more nerdy news, the new issue of Computor Companion magazine is live. Â As always, a big thank you to all our great writers!