I’ve had elk munch my hops in the garden, and a grizzly and black bear wander through. I have to say, the gardeners at the Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier undoubtedly win the “Weirdest Garden Visitor” award. Yesterday I had the privilege of sitting down with Stacie, their head gardener. We talked about what she and her crew do to keep the football field length gardens looking so grand. She shared with me her unusual experience of the day. 

She said they were tackling the weeds, as they often do. A man ran through the garden apologizing profusely with the knowledge he’s not supposed to tip toe through the lupine. He told her he was sorry, but that there was a badger. She turned around and it was a mere 3 ft. from her! That was a first for Stacie, who was rather surprised (seriously, who wouldn’t be?!). Thankfully, the badger continued to travel out of the garden and across the lawn. 

Glacier Park Lodge

For those who haven’t had the privilege of visiting the gardens at the Glacier Park Lodge, picture a bed at least 20 ft. wide and over 300 ft. long stretching from the train depot across the street. Built in 1913, the Glacier Park Lodge was one of the fine accommodations constructed by the Great Northern Railway to encourage eastern tourists to “See America First,” spending their time and money exploring the extraordinary area in Northwestern Montana. Besides building a hotel on a grand scale, the grounds were equally resplendent, and as passengers disembarked, they were greeted by these spectacular botanical displays. For the past century, the gardeners have lovingly maintained the tradition battling the elements and the local wildlife keeping the perennials in top shape. 

Cows?

Badgers are not the only oddity they have to contend with at the gardens, though. I envisioned issues with deer, and maybe even an occasional moose strolling through munching on plants. Nope. Their nemeses are the cows. The area around East Glacier is wild in more ways than one, including the fact that they are in a free range zone, which means cattle have the right of way. If you don’t want them in your yard or garden, you better build a fence. 

While the lodge does have a substantial wooden fence around lawn area, the cows, which are smarter than you might think, figured out how to maneuver around the turn stile. They also discovered how to cross cattle guards even though they’re supposed to be dissuaded by them. Obviously, they did not receive the memo. And as a result, Stacie and her crew often have to herd the cows far away from the gardens. This is to buy them a day, or at least a little time, where the cows are not trampling on things or pruning black flowers to the ground. She is not looking forward to the time when the herd is back in town.

Other critters

I guess I won’t complain anymore when all I have to deal with our a few ground squirrels and deer. They were way over the top last year, by the way. They ate so much in the garden leaving me very little the harvest. This morning my husband saw a skunk standing outside the beehives, which are heavy with honey the season,  but I just have to remind myself that at least I don’t have to deal with cows coming in with their big feet trampling everything and eating anything that catches their attention. Nor do I have to have a bear spray on me when I take things back to the burn pile like they do at the Glacier Park Lodge.

It’s fun to compare what we have to deal with in the garden regardless of where we’re located. It’s all part of the game, and some years are definitely more interesting than others with our wild visitors.