True gardening stories: The worst pest experience 76 Articles

by Glory Lennon

Ah, nature in all it's forms! Such delight, such majesty, such wonder, such a pain in the you-know-what if they come between you and your idea of a perfect garden. Yes, I've had the attack of the Japanese beetles (they don...read more

by Freda Merrel

You have to really be determined to grow a vegetable garden in the Rocky Mountain region where the season lasts less than 100 days, and where everyone, including the animals, gets "spring fever" and begin searching for gro...read more

by Sandra Lynn

"We've got raccoons!" my father hollered at me as I met him at the garden gate. "That's all we need right now" he said, bitterly. I nodded in agreement as I scanned the damage done to our vegetable garden. I volunt...read more

by Annette Liike

When our family moved into our new home eight years ago I decided to plant perennial gardens throughout our yard. I had looked through dozens of gardening magazines and spent numerous hours planning and designing my new b...read more

by Violet Fortune

In my early days as a mother, our family moved into a quaint and immaculate Cape Cod rental, abutting the wild entanglement of a thickly wooded area. My two children were toddlers at the time, one not yet weaned. We rarely...read more

by Jaci Willoughby

I've lived in Orlando, FL for ten years now - and our home backs onto one of the many Water Management Conservation Zones. The Morning Glory Ivy once planted by a long ago neighbor has pretty much taken over the area, and...read more

by Gayle Parks

The worst gardening pest experience I ever had was, by far, with the grasshopper. There have always been grasshoppers, and plenty of them, in Central Texas but a few years back, during a particularly dry summer there was a...read more

by Kestrel Wolf

My family grew a garden we were proud of. Each year we grew basil and marjoram, carrots and beets, jalapenos and banana peppers. We also grew watermelon. Us five kids would work really hard to make sure everything grew rig...read more

by Wendy du Lac

I was upstairs writing. I heard a large thump from downstairs and a voice yelling, "Come quick! And bring your shoes!" I grabbed my shoes and thumped barefooted down the stairs, running out toward the garden where I kn...read more

by Candace Williams

When it rained there were pest problems and when it got dry ....that was another story.Last year we had lots of rain followed by a drought. The first part of the summer when we had lots of rain I battled slugs. The slimy l...read more

by keisi j

Adventures in My Quiet Little Place By age 38, I had eight kids. As dearly as I loved them, I wanted a quiet place to go to. When my youngest was two years old, I decided to build a garden. I found a good s...read more

by Barry Williams

Ask my wife and she will tell you that the worst pest experience she has had is me when gardening matters were involved. It really is a sad story if you care to read on. I like azaleas whatever color. She knows that ....read more

by Bill Jamison

Next Year I have an understanding with nature. I live at the edge of town on 2 acres. I enjoy communing with the earth by gardening. Preparing the rows, planting , weeding and watching each day as the plants grow and...read more

by Can Tran

If squirrels can be considered as pests, then this has been an experience that's been plaguing us for the last few years. For the longest time when my grandmother had owned the house, she's had a garden in the front yard ...read more

by Debbie Robus

My husband and I had dabbled in gardening for several years. A begonia in the flower bed here... a tomato plant or two there, and we considered ourselves "gentleman gardeners." We even went so far as to grow squash and o...read more

by Jim Bessey

Spring has officially arrived here in upstate NY. We had a very dicey April, with some nagging snowfalls and sagging temperatures. Until about one week ago, the trees were bare. However, since we lost nearly two full month...read more

by Sarah Wheeler

For my tenth birthday, I was invited to pick out a tree of my choice from the local nursery. Walking, sometimes running through the rows and rows of trees, small bushes and made up outdoor garden scenarios, I was giddy at...read more

by Bill Whitney

There are all kinds of garden pests. There are little tiny pests, and great big pests. Potato beetles, corn worms, you name it. My worst pest problem was up in Wyoming and it was the rabbits, mule deer, and the 1000's o...read more

by George Graham

My wife, Sandra, and I love gardens, but I must confess we aren't crazy about gardening. So hire a gardener, you say. And I will, I will, just as soon as I win this weekend's Lotto. She especially enjoys glossy magazin...read more

by Kathy Neilsen

The Hollyhock Massacre I love hollyhocks! My love for them is contagious, so contagious in fact, that everyone I know who gardens, at least likes them, because of me, and definitely has one or two of them in their own g...read more