Garden Surprises

This appeared in the August 13, 2020 edition of The Fish Wrap

Flipping a garden bed starts with clearing out the old crop. While clearing a lettuce bed recently, I was surprised by the diverse mix of life that had developed. As the lettuce had matured and started to bolt, the bottom leaves wilted and drooped on the ground, creating an umbrella under several plants. Several of these canopies were homes to little micro-climates and communities!

Three plants in, I rolled one over and to my delight there was a happy little cluster of mushrooms. Two plants down, I found a different kind of mushroom. Fungi break down complex organic compounds like dead leaves into substances plants can use. Not far beyond that plant, I rolled over another and around fifteen crickets hopped out. Another was the setting for some ladybug romance. 

The most exciting discovery was a Toad burrow with a curious little toad peeking out. Toads are welcome in the garden even though they dig holes and mess up the wood chips. Toads eat squash bugs and other insects, slugs and snails that like to eat our vegetables! Hungry snakes and birds hunt for toads so the amphibians look for damp areas with foliage for cover. The droopy lettuce leaves make a perfect roof for a toad burrow. Toad skin absorbs -icides readily, so a toad-friendly garden is a chemical-free garden. 

I marveled at the abundance of life as I flipped the lettuce bed. Plants live beyond the edible stage and continue to host a wide variety of life. Nature utilizes every little nook and cranny and makes use of every stage in the life cycle. If you don’t need the space, let some plants mature and continue to grow, cycle nutrients and photosynthesise. Wait to see how critters interact with the maturing plants. Life will always find a way!