"Dirty" Little Rascal

If you've read my blog for over a year you probably remember me posting about my garden. Last year I was fortunate enough to share a plot at a community garden here in downtown SLC. Getting a plot is a long process and very political. My friend didn't really have money to devote to a garden last year so she let me use her plot. I spent a lot of money building a square foot garden and installed it in the plot. This year she decided she wanted her plot again so I thought I better go retrieve my garden bed. The other day I drove over there to pick it up and this is what I find:

  

Someone stole my garden! And judging from the plaster hand print and the Dora the Explorer watering can, the culprit is a freaking kid! They took out my tiles I had as stepping stones and replaced them. They uprooted my herbs, leaving the lavender and a couple green onions.

All I could think to do was take a picture. So I did. I emailed my friend who loaned me the plot and asked her what happened. She said she switched plots, but no one had our old plot yet. I, of course, begged to differ. After several email exchanges and consults with the person in charge of the garden, I got an email from the new plot renter who told me I was welcome to disassemble my garden bed but I should not "disrupt the soil". 

Excuse me, but I spent $60 on that soil. It is a magical blend of fertilizer, peat moss and vermiculite that will nurture and cultivate anything you plant. So I will disrupt it if I damn well please.

I tried to uproot my lavender but it had cut its way through the weed guard fabric and taken root well beneath the raised bed so it was there to stay. I decided the garden should stay there, the house I currently live in does not have a yard conducive to a garden anyway. So all I could do was claim the two green onions that had grown back from last year and walk away.

I did spot a ginormous worm and took a picture. I've never seen a worm this long before:

 

Something came over me and I picked it up -- even though every time I pick up a worm I squeal/scream until I set it down again. They shrink when you pick them up.

So much for the garden this year. I was honestly considering not doing it again because the plot is under a tree and doesn't get a lot of sunshine anyway. But it was worth it for the tomatoes and the lettuce. And the spinach and basil. And parsley.