I went to visit my new plot at Beresford Park yesterday and found that a gopher had started to tunnel in the new compost. And, in talking with our neighbors, it sounds like the gopher season is definitely upon us. These little critters can take down huge plants in a single meal - pretty much destroying the garden bed you've worked so hard to prepare for the new growing season. Here are a few strategies for dealing with them: 1. Take a deep breath Discovering gophers in your garden is a huge bummer and it can feel like you're personally being invaded. So the first thing to do is take it all in and just relax...it will be okay. You do have some work ahead of you...but everything will be okay. 2. Insert wire screen (also known as "hardware cloth") into the bottom of new beds This is expensive and labor intensive, but can give you some peace of mind. Basically, the bottom of the bed is lined with wire, making it difficult for gophers to channel through. Below i