3 JULY 2023 AGAINST THE ODDS

I live in one of the least hospitable places for growing a garden; but garden I must. I had started seeds nearly four months ago, prior to moving in with my daughter. I had managed, miraculously, to keep them alive, in spite of weeks of cool weather and rain. My first step in making the garden was to erect fencing to keep her German Shepherd from trampling it. I learned years ago that it is next to impossible to have a garden and a dog, which is why, for nearly twenty years now, I have not had one.

My daughter had two cats, which recently turned into three when a stray came in through the dog/cat door and did not want to leave. She is now a part of the family, as is my male cat of about two years old. We are consequently a household of more domestic animals than people (only my daughter, my granddaughter, and myself.) Having four cats has presented numerous challenges. They do not all like the same food and there is a lot of jealousy displayed by not only the cats, but also by the dog.

My biggest frustration at the moment is that my daughter’s male cat seems to think that the garden is his own giant litter box. He has decimated more than half of my seedlings. I laid down Gorilla Hair (mulch) around them and I have watered the garden frequently to keep it wet, but that has not stopped him. Yesterday, I put lemon slices in the garden, which I have been told cats do not like.

The other irritation is that the dog poops about sixteen times a day. She does not go in just one spot, like humans and cats. She walks as she goes, leaving a trail of poop and she doesn’t even cover it up, making it necessary for me to look before each step I take. The smell, if it is not immediately picked up and disposed of, competes with the more pleasant smells of gardening, like that of herbs, flowers, and soil. More precisely, it can make the time spent in the garden quite unpleasant.

The strong winds, the extreme temperatures, and the hail can make gardening in Wyoming feel like a completely futile endeavor. I will of course, never, ever give up gardening. Even against all of these odds, and in spite of the frustrations they cause, I will garden always – and I will always have a cat.