OK you bar stewards, you win but I'll be back - maybe

What have you given up on this year?
For me it's hostas and early grown cosmos. Maybe there's still hope for the later ones
Most of my plants are usually of no interest to slugs and snails but this year, even for the ones that normally get the odd nibble, it's like dropping KFC into a pirahna tank.
It seems to me that the problem is that it never got cold or dry enough for our slimy friends to go into hibernation. With nothing better to do, they passed the time fondling.

 

Nothing yet, but without a few degree more heat I'm starting to be concerned....

 

Peppers. Had a lovely crop of two types of pepper - don't normally grow them cos I always miss their sowing season, but was super organised this year. Had loads of lovely looking plants, put outside to harden off whilst it was particularly warm, but the snails have eaten most of them and just left sad shreds behind.

Am dreading putting out all the dahlias I've grown from seed - I normally don't bother with dahlias because of our slimy chums, but I got some free seeds, and had more success than I expected, so I've grown quite attached to the plants. I just know that these poor things will be destroyed once they get planted outside.

Oh, and they have demolished my aeoniums. They're in a sheltered pot and were super protected over winter. Unveiled them a few weeks back, and since then they've gradually been demolished. I didn't think snails even liked aeoniums!!!! They've been safe every other year!! Annoyed doesn't even begin to cover it. But these are the main ones I've conceded defeat on this year. With luck the sad remnants left behind will recover enough to be back properly next year.

 

Sad....

 

We always have a large slug population here - right through summer as well, due to our general conditions, but this year has been the worst I've ever seen as we've had no winter to speak of. Still lots of frosts/ice, but nothing like our norm. and that seems to be the way it's going.
That's meant all sorts of plants being annihilated that usually manage well enough to repel them. Asters are non existent, and clematis have been eaten as soon as any growth appears. I've had to dig many of them up and pot them, and put them over trays of water to try and get some recovery. Countless other plants too. The usual problems with dahlias, ligularias and lettuce too.
The new Iris I planted last year - sibirica and ensata, have struggled with the foliage being munched, but the one at the house end of the pond had some nice swelling buds forming, so I checked the other one at the far end yesterday. 3 nice juicy buds had formed - and of them eaten right through the stem below the bud.
Thanks for that...

 

They had quite a few of my corn and squash. Lost half the early brassicas.even been a menace in the greenhouse and I'm usually pretty safe in there. Pretty sure they destroyed all my early planted onions too. Been finding them on maturing garlic although they don't do much damage to that thankfully

 

They have gone through all the annuals I planted this year, borage, calendula, echium and cornflowers, the sweet peas also went and so have all the beans down our allotment. It's been the wet that's the biggest factor here as it's normally the driest part of the country (although we still suffer from ravenous molluscs), the onions have rotted and I think our soft fruit will have burst before its ripe.

Still on the flips ide the rain has made the garden so lush that there aren't massive gaps everywhere but it's very green and not much in the way of flowers.

 

Just back from the allotment and I planted a blackcurrant earlier this year and they've chomped the top off of it

 

I've seen a bit of snail damage to Hostas but no sign of slugs. There are some advantages to having dry, sandy soil as there's not many damp hiding places! The previous owner here must have liked Bergenias as there were three beds of them. Slug heaven! Since removing them, the slug population seems to have moved on, or, even better, demised! There's many visits a day from blackbirds searching the lawn for worms but I wonder whether they also control the slug population. I've not seem them eating them but maybe they eat their eggs.

 

The Red Velour petunias I have in pots have been nibbled but not chomped. However I have half a dozen more petunias waiting in the greenhouse before being planted in the open ground, and likewise cosmos and many dahlias. I’m waiting … and waiting for a spell of warm dry weather which will cause the slugs to sleep more and dance less before planting out

 

That’s a thought about the blackbirds @Plantminded as, so far, I’ve only found a couple of small slugs in our damp garden and we have a healthy blackbird population who follow us round the garden digging up worms and stuff

 

Blackbirds should pay attention to Paul McCartney and make night time appearances just like the slugs.

 

Ooooh, well said @BenCotto ! A good plan too…

 

I haven't completely lost anything to chomping, but I have loads of rescued things now sitting in pots, with slug collars and copper mesh and egg shells cluttering up the place. It all looks a bit of a mess, but is fending off the worst attacks.

It is not only slugs either. A zillion ants and woodlice are enjoying a bumper season too.

The worst damage has been done by the wind and rain though, flattening geraniums, cornflowers, etc.

 

Coleus, and nasturtiums, in the green wall were being chomped, night excursions with torch and trowel, removed 2dozen small snails and lots of slugs. 3 out of 4 Salvia Amistads have not come back despite copious use of pellets.
Worst of all on the plots half the row of first early Foremost and same of Charlotte second early have no top growth. I think the devil's eate off the shoots below ground or at ground level .