Stymied

I'm sure I have mentioned, more than once, my severe dislike of the arachnid. It's a phobia, actually. An irrational fear. I know that. And I wish I didn't have it.



Because, you see, it has hampered me severely in doing any gardening at all, throughout the months of August and September. This month is always the worst time, and it is no exception this year. I thought I had found a solution but alas it is only temporary. They always come back.



Actually I was reading an article today on the BBC website about how it's a "good year" for the arachnid (see, I don't even like the word "spider"). Great. I was grateful at least there were no pictures, because I can't even bear to look at one. But I thought I should be informed, so I read it with a sinking heart.



Thankfully during the summer months the garden was fairly low maintenance - enough variation between sunshine and showers to enable the plants to grow vigorously. Watering is a fairly simple task anyway, as you can be far enough away from any offending insects to at least give the plants a good dose.



I did reap a harvest of sorts, which I will share with you next time - but I also failed miserably on the caulifower front.



The cabbage white butterfly. Basically I was running an all you can eat, 24-hour restaurant for this pesky butterfly. When I came to harvest the caulis, which looked fantastic from a distance, I found that this was a completely inedible crop.

Unless you like caterpillars, that is. Probably a good source of protein.

The left border is in an awful mess as well, thanks to the fact that I haven't been able to weed since the invasion. I feel like ripping most of it up and starting again. Given the fact that the soil there is awful, I probably should anyway.

Basically, I feel like a gardening failure. I suppose there is always next year.