Apple mint in bloom.
I wanted to put a nicer title on this post. But then I remembered my friend, we’ll call her K., who has a real aversion to spiders. This is not your ordinary insect fear. K. takes it to a whole ‘nother level.
And I didn’t want anyone to be opening up The Enchanted Earth for a nice dose of gentle contact with nature — and end up freaking out, their laptop on the floor, their day potentially a lot worse for it.
I’ve recently discovered that there are readers afraid of moths, butterflies, and even grasshoppers. What will they think of a spider portrait? We all have our challenges, and some of our past conditioning is pretty ingrained. My sister is extremely wary of wasps, and I freeze up at sight of a cockroach.
No matter how cute this little girl is –and she is really, really cute — if looking at her will make you feel the way I do around cockroaches, I say, let’s not do that. If you have any issues with spiders, you are to clear the blog room now. Thank you for visiting. I’m so glad you came. A brand new post will be up tomorrow, and it won’t be insect- or arachnid-related, I promise.
And we will not talk about you behind your back, either. It is safe to vamoose, as my mother would say.
To give everyone a little visual space to get out of here without glimpsing the cuteness (or horror — all is perspective), let me quickly mention that though I have appreciated spiders for a long time, and been fascinated by their intricate webs since childhood, not until I ran the garden with a no-kill philosophy last season did I appreciate them properly. They eat mosquitoes — and don’t ever eat plants. They don’t act as vectors for common crop diseases. (The spider mite, which does transmit pathogens, is not a spider at all.)
Spiders are a gardener’s best friend. I mean that. Especially if you are attempting to garden organically or if you perceive your bit of Earth as part of the larger landscape.
Insect populations really do tend to keep each other in balance, if given the chance. And arachnids and birds are a part of that big picture, too. If your garden is hopping with life and activity, if you don’t spray poisons, especially broad-spectrum insecticides (which affect many more creatures beyond insects, including spiders and human beings) you will invite these creatures to come and participate in their cosmic dance right there among your basil and tomatoes.
Or in this case among the out-of-bounds apple mint that is a favorite of the tiniest winged pollinators. The mint patch* is a bustling social scene all the day long, now that it has opened up its sweetly fragrant inflorescences. If I were a small spider, I might think taking up residence there among the freshness of the apple-minty leaves, surrounded by tiny prey on all sides, was something close to paradise.
Are all the arachnophobics gone now?
Okay. Good.
And now to share the cuteness that is…
*drumroll, please*
… Phoebe** the jumping spider, honorary garden maintenance assistant in the kitchen garden.
I was bent over weeding, and as I straightened, I came face to face with her, hanging out in the mint. How could I not be charmed by those eyes?
I kind of wanted to cuddle her. But I did remind myself that, although most spiders have mouth parts that are unable to pierce human skin, there are a few spiders who manage it anyway, when feeling threatened.
Besides, she was only three-eighths of an inch long. Human cuddling might be perceived as threatening.
Also, I’d have interrupted her at her work. (See the tiny thread she’s got going? It’s just barely visible in the shot.)
I hate to be interrupted when I’m working. Just ask F.
We did exchange a silent namasté, Phoebe and I, short and sweet. It felt good. Almost as good as this one does:
Namasté, y’all.
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*Yes, we went from a mint plant last year to a mint patch this year. I will never plant mint in the ground again. I knew plants in the mint family were overly aggressive, but I naively and arrogantly imagined that I could keep this one apple mint under control — at least until we moved again. Then I’d pot it up and take it with me. Only now I’d need about a dozen pots. Large ones. There’s probably a lesson and a blog post in there somewhere.
** Of course I named Phoebe. I have a habit of naming the creatures with whom I make meaningful or prolonged contact. Anybody remember Thad and Fiona?
PDF 
I guess she is cute but please no blind dates.
In the mint plants they hide
and bugs they spy
for a quick little lunch
With all eyes they watch
for a fly or a roach
that might approach
the apple mint bunch
desk49´s last blog ..The Sea-
LOL, Ellis! No, I promise, no “blind dates” here at The Enchanted Earth. I’ll always try and give warning.
p.s. “The Apple-Mint Bunch” sounds like it should be a cartoon show for children with the antics of nature fairies, sort of like Strawberry Shortcake meets TinkerBell.
A JUMPING spider???????????? Oh my. Hope they stay up in SC.
I thought I would be brave and read the whole post, but I don’t like spiders too much. Yours sounds like the live and let live type though.
Lynn´s last blog ..Go Braves- hair for the spill and fancy headdress
I admit it can be disconcerting when they jump, Lynn. I used to hate the way they moved and be very nervous around them. But once I realized they’ll never jump *on me* unless they are very confused or frightened, I calmed down significantly. Phoebe sat very still indeed for her photo shoot. I think she was as fascinated by me as I was by her.
I’m proud of your bravery!
Cute! Cute! Cute!
Lisa´s last blog ..The Garage Mahal or- what I did on my summer vacation
Lisa, I agree.
Let me echo Lynn… a JUMPING spider?! Oh my!
Oh well, you did warn me, so I can’t blame you for showing that picture, Meredith! I do think Phoebe is a cute name though.
We had a huntsman called Atticus a year ago. He’d roam about the house, and we really did try our hardest to just leave him be (him? her? it?). However, when Atticus kept watching Cass doing her workout in front of the TV early one morning, that was the last straw. Cass was totally creeped out, so Atticus had to go, but by the time I got ’round to ejecting him from the house he was gone! Perhaps he knew…
Yeah… I can’t handle the Australian spiders/tarantulas. A friend of mine told me a horror story of his encounter with a hairy humongous spider Down Under, and ever since then I’ve had such sympathy for any arachnophobics living there.
I just typed in “huntsman spider” in the Google images and cringed. You and Cass are amazing for putting up with it so long… especially as he apparently was a bit of a peeping Tom-type tarantula, to boot.
In comparison, keep in mind that Phoebe is teensy, less than the size of my pinky nail.
Oh Meredith,
She is darling…for a spider. I do appreciate spiders, but do not like it when they jump out at me
Noelle / azplantlady´s last blog ..Julys Monthly Garden Bouquet MGB
I understand that, Noelle. Glad you found Phoebe “darling.”
She’s beautiful, Meredith. I do love the little furry faces of the jumping spiders.
“Insect populations really do tend to keep each other in balance, if given the chance. And arachnids and birds are a part of that big picture, too. If your garden is hopping with life and activity, if you don’t spray poisons, especially broad-spectrum insecticides (which affect many more creatures beyond insects, including spiders and human beings) you will invite these creatures to come and participate in their cosmic dance right there among your basil and tomatoes.”
I <3 you so much for that paragraph
Merrilee´s last blog ..Guest post- Creativity and the Scientific Mind by Graham Storrs
Oh, Merrilee! And now I’m blushing. I appreciate the “hearting” — I think it might be my first.
Okay, the thing is I once reaaranged an entire room of furniture..not kidding!…because there was a spider on the ceiling and I didn’t want it to fall on the furniture..nor did I want to wake my parents..so as it would move, I would move the furniture to compensate..exhausting..and I woke my parents..and I was only 8!
And *that* shows me there are moments I will exhaust myself to work around a fear instead of with or through it..Living on the boat, and being a single mom..means that regardless of what makes it’s way into my living space..be it tiny little creature or big human creature..I will have to muster my courage to take care of it..talk about facing your fears:)
Joy´s last blog ..Wednesday Wisdom- Cove of Answers
Oh, sweet, little Joy! If I were your mother, I’d have known that night I had an uber-sensitive child on my hands. (And I’d have been so pleased, but apprehensive, for you.)
Your whole lifestyle shows such courage and faith, Joy, it amazes me.
what a lovely spider, she seems full of character!
In the Uk we don’t have poisonous spiders, so I love spiders as long as they don’t fall on me or appear too unexpectedly near me. I also don’t like Malawiain hunting spiders which I shared my house with for two years in Malawi, they rush along the floor at top speed and can bite, though they’re not poisonous
Crafty green Poet´s last blog ..Organic Fortnight
We only have two kinds of poisonous spiders here, and they are easy to recognize and generally do not want to poison the humans, but will only do so when threatened or irritated.
Something running toward me at top speed, ready to bite, though, sounds distinctly unpleasant. Remind me not to sign up for a vacation to Malawi…
Dear Meredith, I am a great believer in all of God’s creatures, co-existence, and living at one with Nature but I should prefer, if at all possible, not to become too closely acquainted with the world of spiders – snakes, too, I think!
Edith Hope´s last blog ..By Bus to Bloomsbury
I understand, Edith. Some parts of Nature are more difficult to befriend than others — including, I think, some distinctly unsavory human beings.
I’ll keep that in mind about the snakes for future post decisions.
I learned to admire and respect the eight-legged little creatures that lived in my garden. One in particular, a black and yellow garden spider, taught me the value of her presence. Wonderful post highlighting the importance of restraint when it comes to using highly toxic chemicals in the garden. I love it that you named your spider. May you find more “friends” in the garden.
Have a fine, fine day, Meredith!
Teresa O´s last blog ..Imagining Bloom Scans
Thank you so much for your lovely comment, Teresa. My garden is teeming with friends.
So much of life seems to be about learning restraint and how to live within the bounds of thoughtful moderation; doesn’t it? I guess our relationship with the Earth should be no different.
You have captured the charm of Phoebe in that photograph.
That’s amazing since I don’t usually think spiders are charming.
gemma´s last blog ..Art Saves Art Heals
What a compliment to my photographic skills, Gemma!
Nah. I can’t take credit. I really do think Phoebe was just that cute, naturally.
What a cute, fuzzy spider! I’m with you on the naming thing, too. We had a large black and yellow garden spider spin a web on our front porch and stay there for weeks. I named him Sylvester and sketched him in my sketchbook. I was kind of sad when he eventually disappeared.
Kathy´s last blog ..Memory Making 101
Sylvester sounds lovely. I love those big orbweavers. They make such a dramatic statement of their presence in the landscape. My sis managed to keep one for several weeks last season, and she was spectacular.
I hope you’ll share some of your sketches and observations with us on your blog, Kathy, if you feel inspired.
I used to be a kill-on-sight girl when it came to spiders. Now I try and let them be. But if I need to get into a place in my garden where there IS a large spider set up? I get Chuck to relocate it into the neighbour’s hedges.
In fact, I do have one living on my hydrangea. Very large. Cool, but definitely not ‘cute’. I’ll be posting pictures soon. With probably a lot less warning than you gave. I’m mean like that lol
Kyna´s last blog ..Whew!
Chuck sounds like a good man to have around. (For large spiders, F. gets called in like the cavalry, too.
)
Can’t wait to see your “mean” post, Kyna!
This is fabulous and cute and I tend to leave them alone as spiders do wonderful things and are a little bit mysterious in my perspective. They are kind of like cats – there is a mystery and history about them that intrigues and persists through history…
Love the pictures!
THe Exception´s last blog ..More Bold
I had not thought of it before, but they do have that in common with cats. Something very mysterious and deep about both, A. You are right!
Thanks for the compliment.
Hi Meredith,
Promises are promises; I told you as soon as I fix the problem with my laptop and be able to surf again I’ll pay you a visit, so here I am…
And I found a spider!
Yes, I’m not fond of those creatures; actually, four legs is my limit, more than four legs is too much for me. I can take two and four, even the non-existent one and three legged creatures, but six or eight? Yikes!
But I am a man of honor! So I kept reading and went over the picture with some sweat in my forehead.
I didn’t know how good spiders could be in a garden…I don’t have a garden! Mostly because machines are my thing rather than live creatures, including those weird bipeds that spend time surfing the net
So now I have a better understanding of those eight legged creatures (thank you
) even that still don’t want to get close to them. (At least it’s something!)
Raul
Alien Ghost´s last blog ..Simplicity
So glad you got to stop by again, Raul. I’m sorry you had to stumble upon a post that wasn’t your favorite, on your first visit back! Glad you managed to survive the experience.
Live creatures beat machines, in my book, any day. At least they are (usually) comprehensible. But then, I am a pretty stubborn Luddite. Still only carry a cell phone for emergencies…
Hey, dear little spider! *she coos*
It’s like she has a hat on her little head! Darling.
Elizabeth´s last blog ..a special offer for you
Aw, Elizabeth, I’m so glad you found her coo-worthy. I hadn’t noticed the hat before — but you are so right!