I coddle and smother my plants. I tend to over-correct problems out of guilt. An example of this is how I have tried to protect one of my camellias.
‘White by the Gate’ must be really tasty. My deer neighbors seem determined to eat its leaves and buds. They even bite the mesh to get to the leaves. Its shape has been deformed during overnight raids.

Early last spring I haphazardly constructed a piecemeal enclosure made of all sorts of things(junk) I found around my shop and garden.

When the deer smashed this in to get to the leaves, I further fortified the structure with stakes and sticks. It was an ugly mess, but the shrub was safe…sort of.

I have not been able to walk steadily since April. I did not stray far from the house for fear of falling until three weeks ago. During these months of my absence, the Camellia grew. Twigs and leaves grew right through the plastic mesh protection. The new growth became tangled and deformed from being enclosed for its safety.

I removed the old mess of enclosure yesterday. In the process I ripped off quite a bit of new growth. Is this really safety? It seemed more like restraint.

The new enclosure is taller, simpler, sturdier and bigger. There is enough room for the new growth without it having to poke through the fence and get nibbled on. It will probably need to be taller and sturdier.

The Camellia will be able to grow without being distorted and weakened by its protection. That restrictive fencing reminded me of the damaging effects of paternalism.

There is also the irony of saving the flower buds while hurting the mother plant.

Sigh.

FLOWER is back in her neglected garden.