Garden Cat

Diego - Garden Cat - Garden Mascot - Garden Guardian 
My little furry friend arrived one day in early July into my veg plot purring gently and then miaowing quietly. He stopped long enough for me to rub him briefly while he moved just a few feet away so I could capture him on camera,,,thus the photos.
Ever since, he seems to know when I'm in my plot and appears suddenly, padding softly and brushing briefly against my legs,before he crosses beds and veggies to access his hunting ground - the raspberry forest ... my term for the tall canes which grow profusely during the summer months.
He hunts for shrews and small birds which hide in the undergrowth and pick at the ripe berries.of 2018.
He belongs to a resident of a very pretty stonecottage built by the owners of the allotments.

    His ginger presence is in stark contrast to the greenery of my plot.
    He doesn't know the difference between a veg bed and a pathway and I have to
   shoo him off netted areas, which are under constant attack from rabbits and           other roaming animals.
   The allotment, which I have rented for the last six years, is situated about a           from the edge of the city and is therefore situated in pastoral surroundings             where fresh air and bird sounds abound,.
   There is never any silence, as nature provides its own noisy background pf           birds, tree movement, wind sounds and the ever encroaching traffic sounds.
   There is relief in the natural sound of birds, though the flapping of pigeon
   wings on the nearby trees can cause a slight confusion as to the nature of  the
   flapping, especially when two birds seem to be duelling for space on the
branches, which swing dangerously up and down.
If you;re looking for the therapy, there is great amusement in watching their antics on the branches.
And of course the,cat, Diego  finds this a great source of fascination and probably wonders if they, the pigeons, would ever drop to earth.

They do drop down from time to time, when my back is turned. Big fat birds they are. I've watched them land dangerously close to the vulnerable veggies, then shooed them off theveg beds as they hopped around eyeing tasty treats for themselves.
The various creatures, over the years have taught me well to be protective of my growing items and so this year, every veg bed has been well netted, with wire hoops holding up the black nets, which seem to be the best colour to deter the rabbits and the white cabbage moth.
In previous years, I have tried different nettings and slowly learnt that green, though a colour that fitted in with the surrounding greenery, was
not the best colour. It would seem the rabbits and various creatures may not know the colour black and they certainly do not like the close weave of this years netting...success at last in protection of my hard work.

People often ask me why I bother with the organic approach and the hard work attached to growing a variety of items for eating during the summer and winter months.
My answer could be a long one, but here it is briefly:I enjoy and need the contact with the earth. The earth doesn't need me, but I need the earth in a very basic way as a creature of this planet does.
I have found the kind of therapy I need and which I have searched for years in other situations and there is nothing like the comfort and joy I receive from mother earth in this veg plot.
The therapy is silent, non-intrusive and free. and I come out of that allotment every single time feeling great. What more could I ask for?