The triple threat.  From furry mammals to slimy molluscs, there is an ongoing competition for our dear plants.  The enemy (see photo below) has a good solid strategy, using the cover of darkness and animal instinct.  It also has plenty of weapons, sharp teeth for tearing, speed, agility and the ability to slither up vertical surfaces.  But we have our opposable thumbs and advanced intellect.  Certainly we can win this war?  Another numberless army that we fight are the weeds.  Never tiring, they advance, seed upon seed, sprouting over and over and over, lowering production in our gardens.  Here are some tried and true weapons and strategies to win the battle in our own backyard.

Liberty Hyde Bailey: A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them.