Insurance - Sometimes A Gardener Needs It

Back on August 6th I planted our cole crops.  Several varieties of cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts were carefully planted in seed pots filled with seed starting mix.  Over the next month or so I've babied them, dutifully watering them and then two weeks ago, Russ and it planted them in the garden.

And then the rain started falling which has not let up.  In conjunction with the rain a plague of bugs like you've never seen descended upon us and the already sickly plants due to the rains were ravaged by bugs and/or worms.

Not looking good

These are a little taller than the first, but you can see the holes where the bugs and/or worms are snacking on the tender young cabbage leaves.

After a real big rain today, I walked in the garden and tried to locate the plants.  I found a few, but many had succumbed to the rain and soggy ground and bug pressure. 

Over the years I've used the practices of composting, hugelkultur, and adding topsoil and it has built up the level of the soil.  You can see how much higher the garden is than the land just to the west of the garden.  The land slopes from east to west.  Even though the garden area is higher than the surrounding areas, the soil is still saturated.  When the sun comes out, it scalds the plants and makes them sick and die.

I love to plant seeds and watch the 'dead' seed germinate and grow.  I never get tired of watching this miracle in action.  I especially like to eat the fresh vegetables that come from those tiny seeds.  I like to also plant open pollinated seeds and save the seeds that those plants eventually produce.  This year, with the many cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprout seedlings I planted now either dead or sickly, I don't know how many plants will actually survive.  So, I had to purchase a little "insurance."  I drove down to the local hardware store on my lunch break and bought some plants to take the place of the ones that are dead or ailing.

I will take care of them here on the back patio while the saturated soil dries out a little.

Then once the soil dries, I'll plant them in the garden.  Sometimes things don't always go as planned.  Weather, bugs, crop failure...  All things that just happen despite the best of intentions and best laid plans.  C'est la vie!  We keep moving forward.  Good weather is right around the corner.