Bed Time

It is closing in on that time of year when a gardener's thoughts turn to tucking the garden away for winter...

Or, in my case, when a gardener's thoughts turn to reasonable excuses for not tucking the garden away. As I’ve said I HATE not having a reasonable excuse ready and, instead, have to rely on outright avoidance.

I firmly believe that leaving a few sharp stalks of last summer's phlox will discourage the elk from attempting to eat the tender new growth this spring. That’s what I tell myself anyway, when I look out on gray November days at the scraggly mess adorning the landscape.

This year the scraggly mess was on track to be epic as all outside activates in the garden came to a halt when the hot water tank demanded my total attention. Fortunately for me the elk did not waver in their dedication to keeping things trimmed back. I did take note, however, that even in their enthusiasm to leave no flower behind they did not eat the phlox stalks. Phlox flowers and leaves yes, but the stalks are still standing.

Perfect. I can now claim my neglected garden is not neglected at all but merely a result of scientific inquiry, part of the scientific method; my garden is clearly the control group in my study of Phlox Stalks as Winter Elk Deterrent. Add a few more multisyllabic words to that title and I’m pretty sure I could find some grant money to aid in my research.

I may be on to something here...