A rose, a salvia, and a field pansy?

What do they have in common?

They are three of many new plants I’ve added to my garden this spring, but they, in particular, have one other thing in common.

The morning after I planted them, I found each one dug up and lying next to where I had planted it.

First, it happened to a rose, a new short climber called ‘Rise Up Amberness.’ I planted three of them in my front garden one evening, and the next morning, as I was watering, I found one of them dug up and lying on its side next to the hole I’d planted it.

Who? What? How? (Is gardening nothing but questions?)

I promptly replanted the rose and decided that “those who lurk in the garden at night” had decided they didn’t like it because it was right where they liked to walk. Well, I’m in charge (and they laugh and laugh when I say that), so I replanted it, and it’s been there ever since. It was small when I planted it, and it’s still small, but it was the first of the three new roses to bloom.

Next, it happened to a European field pansy seedling, Viola arvensis. I got seeds for this viola from Nan Ondra of Hayefield in exchange for some columbine seeds I collected last year. (If you are looking for unusual varieties of flowers to grow from seed, check out Nan’s website!)

Unsure of how to sow the seeds for the field pansy, I decided to try winter sowing and ended up with a nice seedling, which I planted out in a spot where I could watch over it and water it.

Yep, you can easily guess what happened next. I went out the next morning, and there it was, pulled out of its planting hole and lying bare-root next to it.

I replanted it, of course. I have no idea why the creatures who come out at night decided to uproot it. Such a small little seedling. I hope it makes it to re-seed, even though it is an introduced weed to some people. I’m not hopeful. (Oh wait, yes, I am hopeful! I’m a gardener!)

Finally, the last victim, so far, was a salvia.

Just as I finished mowing the lawn the other day, the FedEx delivery man arrived with a box of plants from Darwin Perennials for me to try in my garden. I profusely thanked him and opened the box to find three pots of Veronica ‘Skyward Pink,’ which of course, I planted in my pink garden next to the garage, and three pots of Delosperma ‘Ocean Sunset Orange Glow.’ I decided to put them in a little spot next to the driveway near a little pile of rocks.

And finally, three pots of Salvia ‘Blue by You.’ This salvia is supposed to be better than the classic blue perennial salvia ‘May Night,’ which I have in abundance in the back garden. (See picture above.)

Anyway, I planted the three ‘Blue By You’ salvia plants in the front garden in a “let’s see how it handles this spot” location. It’s where the bird feeders are, so lots of seeds and crap drop to the ground there. From that standpoint, it isn’t an ideal location, but the salvia plants should get lots of sun there, so I think they’ll still grow just fine.

Again, the next morning, I found one of the salvias dug up and lying next to its hole. Sigh. What is going on here?

I replanted it, just like I replanted the rose and the field pansy. It’s still there a few days later. So are the rose and the field pansy, which means I’M STILL THE BOSS OF THIS GARDEN, and when I choose a spot for a plant, digging it up and leaving it on the ground as a sign that you, whoever you are, didn’t like that spot, isn’t going to be tolerated.

Do you hear that, you scoundrels who dig in the darkness?

Okay. Done.

That’s what a rose, a salvia, and a field pansy have in common in my garden.