The Crafty Cultivator

Because I didn’t write here much at all last year, I don’t think most of you know about the squirrel caused trauma that I experienced last year (Only being slightly dramatic here).

I received a large piece of a fern leaf peony and I was growing it in a pot until I could figure out where I wanted it to live out its life. Torn between planting it at my parent’s house, or in our yard here, it was just safer to keep it in a pot, in ideal soil until I could make up my mind and find the right spot. It was growing beautifully. Since I have a “small” collection of fruit trees growing in pots, it wasn’t any more work to have it in a pot along with the baby trees.

Then one day, I came home from work to water all my plants, and there was pieces of peony roots all over the back yard. The fuzzy little assholes buggers, had pulled the root out of the soil, ripped them apart and had bitten pieces out of nearly every tuber and spread them all around the backyard. It was shocking. They had left them alone for weeks.

I didn’t have much hope, but there were 2 small tubers that didn’t suffer as much damage as the larger pieces. I planted them haphazardly in a bed so they would have more protection. Being in-ground over winter is always better for plants here, and this would give it a chance to settle in before winter. If it was going to live, this was its best shot, but I wasn’t holding my breath.

This afternoon, I went around looking for signs of spring. I’ve been trying to remember where I planted all my crocus bulbs, and waiting for signs of daffodils and rhubarb and all the other things that start showing green signs of life pretty early in spring. There it was. I gently moved some of the leaves I use for winter mulch out of the way, and these beautiful red tentacle like growth points were poking out. I’m constantly in awe of the resiliency of nature.

Also, I am so happy this thing survived. To purchase one of these sought after plants, it is around $90. While I didn’t have to buy it, that doesn’t diminish it’s value and I hope it thrives this year. I would love to nurture it and in a few years, split it and pass a piece onto another gardener who would appreciate it as much as I do (Even if the neighborhood squirrels don’t).