When I Saw the Holes
The other morning I walked out to check our tomato plants, and they looked… rough. Leaves gone, stems chewed, unripe tomatoes that had clearly been chewed. It’s the kind of scene that makes you want to grab gloves and fix it immediately.
For years, I would have.
Chewed leaves, broken stems, dropped fruit… These all felt like failures. Like somehow I wasn’t doing enough to protect my plants, like I was falling behind on another invisible garden chore.
Especially once I identified the culprit – a tomato hornworm caterpillar. The first instinct is to get rid of them as quickly as possible. I mean, they’re eating my tomato plants, what am I supposed to do?
Not a Pest, a Pollinator in Waiting
But that caterpillar, and other like it, may be chewing on our plants today only to become the pollinators that our gardens need tomorrow. That hornworm is a type of Sphynx moth, and are important pollinators.
It’s easy to forget that many of the creatures we label as “pests” are simply at a different stage of life. By removing them, we’re also removing the butterflies, the pollination, and the balance our gardens need.
Instead of fighting it, we’ve learned to plant extra—enough for us, enough for them.
A Chewed Leaf Is Part of the Story
What looks like damage is often a sign of life. The garden was never meant to be spotless or controlled. It was meant to be shared.
Every hole in a leaf is proof that your garden is connected to something bigger—cycles of growth, transformation, and renewal. And when we make space for that, our gardens give back in ways we can’t always measure.
Watch the Full Reflection
We filmed a short video about this moment and why we’ve chosen not to remove caterpillars in our space. If you’d like to see the caterpillars up close—and the bigger perspective they offer—click here to watch:
👉 Why We Leave Caterpillars in Our Garden →
A Gentle Reset, If You Need One
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by your garden lately—more stress than joy—you’re not alone. That’s why we created the Gardener’s Reset Guide. It’s a simple, calming resource to help you step back, breathe, and reconnect with your space without pressure.
✨ You can download it free here: Get the Gardener’s Reset Guide → HERE
Final Thoughts
The next time you see a chewed leaf, pause before reaching for a solution. Ask yourself: is this really a problem? Or is it just part of the life your garden is meant to hold?
Because sometimes, what looks like trouble is actually the beginning of something beautiful.
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