So Upset

[TracyP]

I had some of my 5 year old's friends (and younger siblings and mothers) over today after school. They were warned not to go near the veg patch, but they have just left and half of it has been destroyed. I had a mound type arrangement with carrots and sweetcorn and all of it has been flattened and pulled out, and on the other side my two (previously thriving) courgette plants were just pulled ut of the ground. I don't know who the culprits were, though don't think it would be my two are they know that it's 'mummy's baby plants" but I'm just devastated - well, you know how much you look after them, they were raised from seed and I was so proud of them as I'm new to it all. Thankfully they left my beans, peas, strawbs and salad and my greenhouse stuff is fine.


Aghhhhhh!!!!

[janto]

i have some spare plants but sorry you are to far away.next time get yourself a bodyguard for the garden,lol

[Novice Gardener]

Awwwww Tracy, you must be gutted, at least you've got some other bits that are ok. My dog has just (for the second time) dug up my courgette plants as well as my onions, peppers and broad beans that I had in raised beds in the garden. Thankfully I've just got myself a lottie, so next year my bits should be safe from her

[Chillimad]

You poor thing,, all that time to raise them then squashed,, you must be devestated I know I would be,, good luck with everything else that is growing, and keep everyone indoors in future easier said than done I Know from experience

[quark1]

So sorry to hear of this disappointing destruction.

I wonder what part of 'no' kids don't understand these days?

And it begs the question - they may have been in a safe environment but who was in charge of supervision? If the younger ones were out playing as well - a group of 5yr olds are hardly sufficient supervision for younger kids. Sorry to be a bit 'beaky' but some of the responsibility lies with the adults who should have been there to avert. And I am a mum - of a one time rather boisterous boy - one who exhaustingly had to be watched all the time! Now grown up and still a handful in other ways!

Hope you get sorted soon.

[Finedon.Dandy]

Tracy I so wish I was nearer to you so I could come, give you a hug, give you some replacement plants, that we could then plant together, followed by a nice bottle of wine. Its so hard to teach children that age - I am forever trying to tell Daniel NOT to pick strawberries that aren't red yet but never would I imagine such wanton destruction from him and he is only 2! Didnt the Mums try and stop them? Dont stress Babe - this time next year when you look upon your perfect plot you may (just may) be able to look back on this and laugh. Good luck with your future cultivations - please dont let this put you off. Thinking of you. ammy

[lynda66]

i have some deadly nightshade growing in my hedge if you want to poison the little buggers :-(

[TracyP]

Thanks for your replies. Have had a glass of wine and calmed a little. Thanks for the words of support. Kids, eh?

Quark1 -My garden is very child friendly and I often have kids round. My two (5 and 2) know not to go into the veg patch and I haven't had any problems with children up till this point. If my 5 year old was there and seen it, he would have told me - he was upstairs for most of the time. My 2 year old often potters around and does not go in, though with older boys 'having fun' he might well have joined in. I suppose I reckoned that because they were told, they wouldn't have gone in. We, the mothers, were in the kitchen which overlooks the garden. They were being supervised, in the safety sense, but clearly I underestimated the destruction element. Won't be making that mistake again. I know they are wee boys and it was all fun, but, they were my wee veggie babies!!!

[Demeter]

We garden with children aged from babies up to 5 years old (there are 7 of them all together, and 4 mums - although not usually all of us there at any one time!) Having seen what young children can do even under supervision, I know now how closely they need watching, especially the older ones! And especially when there are extra friends that come round who aren't so familiar with how to behave around plants.

My 3yo is usually *but not always lol* quite respectful of the plants, that's just her personality as she's a thoughtful child in general - and the others are learning, but it takes time - and a bit of shouting!! oh dear - they know now that the plants will give them yummy food so they need to be kind. Even so, sometimes they get carried away having fun and just forget to be careful. We'll lose a few - the other day they were picking the pretty flowers off our peas the b****rs but they stopped when we explained that the plants need the flowers to make peas - in the long run we'll get plenty that survives and the children will all learn loads so we try not to get too upset when someone stands on a cherished little baby.

[Snadger]

I remember my Dad banning my kids from his veg plot! He took his Grandson with him while he was planting cabbages and when he turned round my Son had pulled all the plants back out of the row and had them in a bunch in his hand! " There you are Grandad" he said, handing my Dad a handful of mangled cabbages!

[Alice]

What a shame Tracy. I do feel upset for you. But children that age are just not reliable to follow instructions. They have to be under constant supervision. I hope you manage to salvage something.

[yoanbob]

lol! why not give the kids their own area to plant then they will learn how to treat them and why

[vegnut]

lol! why not give the kids their own area to plant then they will learn how to treat them and why

Yeah with barbed wire and electric fences HeHe
Never mix children and gardening. It doesn't work

[Demeter]

Never mix children and gardening. It doesn't work

Nah - it does work - but only if they have a reason to be careful of the plants and help look after them - that's why it can be good to get your own children involved but dangerous to let other people's anywhere near the veg patch... Also - only if you don't mind a few things going wrong. (Ah but Lard help those kids if they kill our one remaining butternut squash!!)

Tracy - I do hope you manage to get things up and running again, as even our lot haven't managed to wreak that kind of destruction - I guess the fact that it's at the farm instead of in our respective gardens makes a difference, as they get much more supervision there than they would if they were "just" in the garden. If possible, it might be worth fencing off the veg patch at some point? at least while you are regularly having various young children coming round to play in the garden. Mind you, sometimes the little angels just take that as a challenge...

Last week I went to a friend's house for dinner and she produced a delicious home-grown salad - we were just about to help ourselves to seconds when we saw a huge snail on the edge of the bowl Her 2yo later admitted to having brought it in from the garden and put it on the table, but it still put us off eating any more of the salad! Aren't kids great?

[TracyP]

I know, I know. But my kids know about the veg patch, and the importance of it, clearly the other kids did not, well I guess because there are no veg growing in thir gardens. **** happens. They are only 5!

.. still mourning my courgettes though!

LOL re the snail!! I could cope with most garden thingys but not the slimy ones. reminding me to go on the torch hunt...

Thanks for the kind words!