A Walk in the Garden

The beginning of the gardening season is a good time to go for a walk in the gardens. It’s the perennial garden beds that I’m referring to, and the beds themselves, not the pathways. This is part of an annual springtime tidy-up, and can be critical to the survival of some of the plants.

I get started by carefully raking leaves off the beds and into pathways where they will stay. Mulching paths with leaves reduces yard work in a big way by keeping them free of weeds. Wearing my new pair of beanies,* I walk through each garden bed, stepping between emerging plants, and pressing down on tunneled and hollow spots.

The roots of perennial flowers, shrubs and small trees must be in contact with soil in order for the plants to thrive, so I pay especial attention to their root zones. If you’ve planted these things you may have noticed that instructions say to pack the dirt firmly around the roots. Garden vegetables may like things loose and fluffy, but perennials do best in firmed-up soil.

The dark spot in front of my foot is a mole hole.

It is moles that are responsible for this little bit of work. These creatures live underground and scurry through the soil to find food. Apparently, they had a busy winter this year, as there are lots of tunnels and hollow spots. Two of our moles met their demise over the winter as our ever-helpful dog, Murphy stuck his face into the snow to nab them. Moles look similar to mice but they have big fat hands and a short tail. You may have noticed, too, they seem to have no eyes. But then, why would an underground denizen need eyes?

Moles are not interested in eating your plants or the roots of them- they are meat eaters. I did a bit of research and found several sites talking about earthworms being their main diet. Besides worms there is a long list of critters that moles are inclined to eat. These include things you might not want anyway, such as slugs, termites, carpenter ants, and yellow jackets. Here, we think it’s a good thing that moles like to eat earthworms. Worms are in plentiful supply as they breed in droves under the leaf mulch on our paths.

We don’t give a thought to trying to get rid of the moles. They are part of the food chain. We share the forest with hawks, barred owls, and snakes all of who might like to enjoy one for dinner.

Several times during the growing season I’ll put on my beanies and repeat the walk through the gardens. Just in case. And it’s a simple thing to do. -jmm

* L.L. Bean waterproof mocs (great for wandering in the garden!)