I'm growing a garden for the squirrels...

or so they think. I have never, ever, had a problem with the squirrels in the neighborhood. I don't know what it is this year. As soon as my seedlings poke their leaves through the soil, the squirrels just help themselves. And I mean, to everything. I'm lucky enough if they don't eat the whole stem and maybe leave a leaf or two so that the plant can recover. It's so sad. You literally spend hours staring at the soil, waiting for the seeds to emerge. They finally make their triumphant appearance, and the next day when you go to check on how much they've grown...nothing. Or worse, the squirrels leave behind a little bitty stem so you can see where your plant would have been. I already had to buy two more seed packets of Cosmos and Zinnias this year because they've eaten so many. I was standing over my garden this afternoon, seriously considering scattering store bought lettuce all over my garden in hopes that they'd choose to munch on that instead. They'd probably just round up their friends and tell them they hit the jackpot though.