Gardening & Parenting

You raise them from birth (or at least a very young age); you take care of them daily...feeding them and cleaning up around them. You give them food; you protect them; and you give them every opportunity to grow up and reach their full potential.

Yes, in time, the plants in your garden become your babies. Gardening - like parenting - is mostly great, but I'd be irresponsible if I weren't truthful about some of its down points. You love your kids garden; but let's face it, sometimes, they let you down. You do everything in your power to protect them, but you can't protect them from everything.

Sometimes, they get sick;

Bean Rust?

Whatever it is, my beans have no leaves :(

Some of the pods seem affected

But most pods look fine

Whatever it is, seems to be spreading to the bush beans next door

My tomatoes show small signs of sickness; but nothing widespread yet

Sometimes they may get attacked by negative influences;

Pumpkin stem cracked wide open. Getting sucked to death by cucumber beetles and squash bugs. ARGH!

More squash bug/cucumber beetle damage

Yep, caught in the act

I promise I am picking eggs everyday, so where did these come from!

Not sure if this pumpkin will make it. These were going to be our giant ones too.

Sometimes, they may make the wrong choices.

The squash have snuck out to the pea bed and is climbing its trellis...follow the black lines.

We even have a squash growing in the pea bed...bad news bc it interferes with the effects of crop rotation.

It was holding on tight too, but I sent it back home.

And sometimes, we as parents mess them up. We try to hard, are too protective, and get in the way of their growth and potential.


I pruned off some ill looking leaves and inadvertently exposed the toms to the western sky. Sunscald!

But we keep trying. We keep working at it. We give them a chance to rebound. But unlike parenting our kids; this love is not unconditional. We will yank you out or till you under!

This post has been linked in with An Oregon Cottage Tuesday Garden Party. Click on over and join the party with other gardeners sharing their stories, tips, and harvests.