Gardenwars: Week 6

Squirrels, bugs, adorable children, and literary quotes. That’s how we roll in Gardenwars. Oh! And vegetables too!

July 16, 2013; 9:54 AM • by Ross Catrow

This week, Gardenwars features two quotes from Masters of the English Language, two squirrel attacks, and two adorable children. Also one disgusting monster.

As always, remember our tangible-prize sponsors, Plow & Hearth! And congratulations to last week’s winner: John Sarvay! Only one vote separated first and second place at the completely arbitrary time I decided to cut off voting.

Last week’s results

John Sarvay
Lesley Bruno
Erik Bonkovsky
Scott Pharr

Competition leaderboard

This week we’ve included the results of our super-secret (also arbitrary) scoring algorithm. Note: a lower score is better, like golf.

Erik Bonkovsky (9)
Lesley Bruno (9)
John Sarvay (11)
Scott Pharr (13)

A tie at the top of the bracket! ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!

— ∮∮∮ —

John Sarvay

The family that gardens together: Thea and I in matching “Yoga for Gardeners” poses, as I hunt for the elusive cucumber and she prepares to lose her mind because the squirrels have again pillaged our tomato plants. For the record, Nikole is responsible for the flowers, and does much more weeding that I would ever do!

“Horror has a face…” There is no horror like the horror of squirrel-eaten tomato carcasses littered around your yard, Kurtz. This, my friends, is the ugly side of urban gardening.

Thea salvaged one cherry tomato this weekend, and nestled it in a bed a kale. Also, 17 more cucumbers, not pictured. New crops of carrots, kale, broccoli rabe, green beans, peppers, and spinach are now in the ground.

Lesley Bruno

The Season of the Bruno Tomato is definitely upon us. These little guys are delicious.

Three different varieties, all great for slicing, salad, or sauce…

…or for carting around while being adorable.

Erik Bonkovsky

The real #gardenwars competition isn’t the other gardeners. It’s the squirrels whose brazen attacks on our tomatoes end on our patio table where they mock me with postprandial carnage.

I garden behind our house in a reclaimed public alley that last year was overgrown with weeds. What isn’t planted with vegetables bursts with flowers to attract beneficial pollinators.

“Ah Sunflower, weary of time,/ Who countest the steps of the sun;/ Seeking after that sweet golden clime/ Where the traveller’s journey is done” (William Blake)