Where have all the flowers gone

One stinkin’ daffodil. Last fall I planted over 100 bulbs in my little garden – daffodils, tulips, croci – and all I get is one stinkin’ daffodil.  Who’s to blame? It’s either varmints or Walmart.

The Walmart theory is credible - that’s where I stupidly purchased the bulbs. Should have known better. They were probably grown in China and were contaminated with something. I loathe Walmart with a passion. So why do I shop there? Because I loathe traffic and cities even more, and Walmart is the closest and only place to shop when you live in the middle of nowhere.

The varmint theory is also credible. Witness this packrat nest or “midden.”

These pesky little creatures gather up cacti and twigs and horse poop and just about anything else they can find and build their cozy homes at the base of juniper trees...or atop the warm engines of cars and trucks not parked safely in the garage. How do I know this? A post for another time. Suffice to say, whenever guests come to visit, I make sure they pop the hoods on their vehicles lest the packrats move in and chew up their wiring.

I’ve tried trimming the juniper trees so that the sunlight might discourage the packrats from building their nests at the base. No such luck. They lived here long before I showed up and have no respect for property rights.

My last and best hope is Deets, the new barn cat. He arrived on scene too late to save this spring’s flowers, but I’ve got him in training to protect the summer’s tomato crop.