A Monstrous Pest Problem in My Fruity Garden

After a few false starts, spring is truly getting underway now in Portland — actually, it seems we’ve skipped over spring altogether and launched right into summer! Regardless, winter’s well over and that means my garden turning into a jungle. Unfortunately, I’m also dealing with a certain stripey pest problem…

Classified in scientific terms as Beastius finnicus, you know him more commonly as Finn McSpool.

-Hey Finn, do you want to help me see how the garden’s doing?

-Does it involve work?

-Maybe a little, but it also involves food–

-I’m in!!

After I extracted the knife and fork from his paws and wondered where in the world he found a set of salt and pepper shakers, we roamed around the garden to marvel at the fruit coming on.

Finn was duly impressed by the apples and pears even if they are still only Beastie-sized…

…but a little less so at the (so far) slow production of my raspberry plant.

-Hmmph, is that the best you can do?

-It’s still early in the season, Finn, and they did have a rough time when Mr. Husband put in the new fence in March.

-Excuses, excuses.

-Well, maybe this will meet your approval…

-Ooh, that is a nice cherry. (Passes me a skeptical look.) ONE nice cherry.

-Okay, but look at all these strawberries coming on.

-Nice!! Um, say (he says, glancing around with belly rumbling), you got anything ripe in this garden?

-Will these honeyberries do?

Anyway, I had been intending to put those berries in my breakfast yogurt, but immediately after this photo was taken, they all disappeared. I don’t want to make accusations, but I did catch a certain monster wiping berry juice off his face.

-Finn!!!

-Uh-oh. (Scurries off on stumpy legs.) Maybe if I climb up here she won’t find me. Whoa!!! Help!!!

After letting Finn dangle until he apologized for stealing my breakfast, I helped him down. Then we heard buzzing coming from one of the flowers on this foxglove.

Sure enough, we had a friend hanging out with us…a big ol’ bumblebee who seems to love this plant.

I stood and watched her going about her business for a bit, then realized I’d made the mistake of not paying attention to Finn. No problem, he found a way to draw attention to himself with my mini-lupines….

-Nice hat, Finn.

-You just wait, it’ll be all the rage in Paris this fall, but what’s really going to wow them is this fashion accessory.

-What’s that?

-See?

-No, not really.

-It’s a burse.

-What in the world is a burse?

-You know, like a man purse is a “murse”, this is a Beastie purse, and therefore–

-A burse. I get it. If you’re done with that, do you want to help me tend to the beans and tomatoes?

-Nah, fruit and veg are way too much work. I’m just going to kick back and eat cookies instead.

Ah, the life (and metabolism) of a Beastie.

Hope you enjoyed this garden stroll and fun with Finn. What’s growing in your garden? I’ll be back next week with a glimpse into the future of my writing world…and possibly this blog.