You should get the demon-spawn a Butterfinger, and point him toward the garden signs. : )

Bwahahah!!

Don B.

Ah, a wedding backdrop. Bask in that one, I would. Oh, yes, DO befriend that 6 yr old. Bribes are good. Just explain the stuff you don't like and offer rewards. He might have friends...

-Babka

Let's not get carried away with Demon Spawn. He has that name for a reason. I caught him a couple months ago trying to pick leaves off my hosta garden plants. I shouted out the window, "If you touch those plants, you will be PUNISHED!" Apparently put the fear of G-d into him, he now avoids my garden like a plague site. Good.

He also bounces a ball (there are signs prohibiting that everywhere) noisily on Saturday mornings and runs around the conjoined yards shrieking. The handicapped neighbor in the wheelchair right next to their door is really upset that he uses her ramp to skateboard and bounce balls.

You got your voles, I got Demon Spawn. But at least one less piece of ugly in my garden.

Bwahahaha! Demon spawn, you say......Well, your little garden just might be decorated for Halloween..........Boooooooooo!!

DD

Oh, well, just thought maybe you could at least temporarily harness/control the demon for your bidding, a la King Solomon. ; )

Don B.

Donna, Demon Spawn's family doesn't celebrate Halloween, so he knows nothing about Halloween "decorating". Besides, he's only 6 years old. Imagine the horror I felt when his father asked me "what breed of dog would be good for their family". They can't control this kid and they want to get a puppy? So we can all hear it crying and barking and have the yard messed up with "Oopses"? It was all I could do not to say, "A stuffed one." Honestly folks, get the parenting thing down and then we'll talk about getting a puppy.

love a great story!

I have the solution : don't fight the kid, join him, teach him about gardening. Assign a plant to him. My very active grandson is living with us, and I gave him my little vegetable and fruit garden, plus 3 hostas ('Stiletto', 'Blue Cadet' and 'Empress Wu') when he was 5. He is proud of his garden and brings in the vegetables to his Mama. When I was away for a week, my grandson (now 10) watered all my hostas every 2 or 3 days. Bernd

This post was edited by berndnyz5 on Tue, Sep 10, 13 at 8:41

I agree with Bernd too. Sometimes sugar is better then vinegar/ Surprising what a bit of praise does for growing a friendship. Worth a try and relieves some of the stress of living in a Co-op( mutual benefit)

Faye

Bernd, Faye: Been there, done that. I spent a lot of time explaining my hosta garden to D.S. I told him that if he wanted to start a garden, I would answer any questions he had.

Some time later, his mother planted a single wax begonia. It didn't seem to get a lot of care. While I was watering my handicapped neighbor's flowers, the mother actually asked me if I would water her flower, too. I told her that D., the handicapped neighbor in a wheelchair, is handicapped and can't water her own flowers. So I do it for her. The woman caught the implication. The wax begonia still didn't seem to get any care, get watered, etc. She could bring out a cup of water to it a couple times/week. Nope.

Another neighbor down the street waters her entire extensive garden with a bucket of water and a cup to draw from it to sprinkle her flowers. They are some of the best flowers on the block. Her little daughter is a model of excellent behavior and manners.

Maybe gardening habits are indicative of parenting quality. I really hope those people don't get a dog. I would feel sorry for any pet under their "care".