"Dig we must"

There are those who continue to believe that this motto belongs to Con Ed, but I know that the squirrels deserve full ownership. It's maddening to find entire pots of lettuce seedlings excavated to the very bottom. We never need to thin anything. Were it not for the squirrels, we'd have many more lettuce plants of many more varieties; there'd be calendulas, nasturtiums, and sweet peas galore, instead of in moderation only. At this time of year, the squirrels are so deeply engaged in burying acorns and pecans that they'll break off only if they think you're within an inch or so of actually touching them. They are obsessed and they have no fear. They also explore any newly turned soil. That's why the plants that stand the best chance of survival are volunteer seedlings and returning bulbs. Today's discovery was an overnight springing up of sweet peas. If we're lucky, any resulting flowers will be something better than the washed-out pink ones that often result.