The Druid Grove

by **Huathe** » 24 Nov 2010, 06:32

My daughter, Sarah likes snails. She picked one up a little while back and called it " Gary "!

by **Serenity** » 24 Nov 2010, 23:20

Lovely poem.

I have a similar battle with slugs and snails around my vegetable patch. I have friends who will go out at night after rain and stomp on snails but I can't bring myself to deal with them in this way. So I collect them all in a plastic bag and take them down to the end of my street where there is a huge area of blue periwinkle growing about a foot high. And I leave them there. (and I have suggested to my snail killing friends that they do the same...)

Like others on this thread, I've also been looking on the web for info about these small animals and came up with this amazing Attenborough footage of Leopard slugs mating. It really is worth watching through to the end - it's one of the most amazing views of the natural world I've ever seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhVi4Z6CjZk

by **emmao1111** » 26 Nov 2010, 12:08

I love this! It really was worth watching right to the end - like something from an alien planet, but very beautiful.

I have tried reloacting the snails from my garden but they are like homing snails; you can actually follow the trails up the road and back to the house. Given that they are so attached to their patch of land I have given up and now plant less tasty plants and shrubs and keep everything edible under wraps as much as possible.

I used to keep chickens. They were excellent pest control experts. Trouble is they were expert at demolishing food crops too. After one attack on my herb border we ended up with eggs that had a decidedly minty flavour for about three days.

The moral to the story? Prevention is better than cure :grin:

by **Vapour Trail** » 26 Nov 2010, 13:35

Slug, slugs,
Those gardening thugs
Who mug your cabbages,
pick on your plugs
of weak puny vegetables
struggling for life.

Slugs, slugs,
Those gardening thugs,
chew holes in your chard
and rally the bugs
with their slime trail
signals in the night.

I'd happily skewer them on spikes.

by **emmao1111** » 26 Nov 2010, 17:21

Hahahahahaaaa!!!! That's a bit harsh but I like it :-)

by **wyeuro** » 27 Nov 2010, 03:29

if i were a slug
living under a stone,
when a garden was dug
and the seedlings well-grown
i'd be keenly aware
of their sweet sappy juice
and be drawn from my lair
by the smells they produce
and without hesitation,
my radula flashing
i'd start mastication
their leaves and stems mashing
and nature so well
would reward me for this,
i'd go home, truth to tell,
in a state of great bliss.
wyverne

by **Serenity** » 27 Nov 2010, 03:37

I love how these slugs have stirred up everyone's creative juices!

The humble slug
Deserves a hug.

it's the best I can do this morning. I confess that I am nursing a slight hangover from two glasses of birthday champers last night. (I used to be able to drink rather more without ill effect but find it increasingly difficult to process alcohol these days.)