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Behind our house, I have a small garden plot that I used to cultivate each summer. I would plant lettuce, napa cabbage, tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers. But beginning last year, I decided to give up gardening altogether. Now I simply let the Samyuk-gukhwa greens grow on their own, and I harvest the leaves from time to time, blanch them, freeze them, and use them when I make bibimbap.

 

One of the main reasons I stopped gardening is the constant battle with the local wildlife. No matter how faithfully I watered the plants and nourished the soil, the deer, badgers, and skunks would visit our garden without warning and enjoy everything as their personal snack bar. Many times, I went to bed excited, thinking, “Tomorrow I’ll pick those fresh leaves and make a nice wrap,” only to wake up and find that the once‑beautiful vegetables had been reduced to sad, neatly clipped stubs. It was truly disheartening.

 

I even caught a deer in the act, happily munching on my lettuce. I ran toward the culprit and chased it all the way into the woods. But it was no use. When there are vegetables in the garden, these creatures have neither shame nor fear. They simply help themselves.