Need Advice: Cabbage Maggots

My cabbages have cabbage maggots in the roots. The book I have says 'too bad for you, you should have put row covers on' (my paraphrase) and gives no advice on getting rid of them short of destroying the plants. Anybody out there know any way to save the plants and destroy the maggots?

A yellow Louisiana Iris by the pond.

The little pond is bursting with water lilies this year, with Siberian Iris in bloom behind it.

Finally! Pea blossoms on the snap peas. I was beginning to think it wouldn't happen!

The peas are planted where I took out the trumpet vine this year. So far so trumpet vines coming back...but I bet they will. They can be awfully persistent. I took them out because they still weren't blooming after 5 years. When the peas are done I'll put in some flowers or something that will vine. Maybe even another melon plant.

I have the raised beds all planted now and they are doing pretty well, except for the cabbage. I ordered some floating row cover fabric but it's not here yet. I had a problem with maggots in my radishes too.

Bob put 4x6 ft. wood and wire trellises onto the 4x4 boxes a few days ago. Now they are planted with melons, small pumpkins, and a small watermelon. There are 4 of them and they are screwed to the sides of the raised beds. He's really been a blessing and a hard worker in building all this stuff for me. I think he's really glad that things are getting done in that area!!

An unusual 'volunteer' plant growing at the side of one of the raised beds. The whole area was filled with these large mushrooms. The ground was full of the fibrous plant underground so I hope it doesn't migrate into the boxes, but it might. Sometimes I wonder why I wanted to start gardening again. I told Bob before he began to build all this stuff that if I get frustrated with vegetable gardening it will all go to flower beds instead. He's okay with that - he just doesn't want it to be 'wasted' money and work and all to weeds.

Then there were the volunteer melon (I think...) seeds in the big compost pile. I didn't have the heart to ruin them and they were in total shade so I filled one of the composting trash cans (with holes drilled in the sides) with compost and moved a pitchfork full of the seedlings to the top and put it by the fence so it can vine all over. Then I just liked the idea so I did another one and planted some more melon seeds in that one. I may do one more. I have LOTS of fence I can use.

This mess is my job for today. This is all right at the front door - it looks terrible and has been that way for a few weeks now. I need to get all the pots filled and put in place and then clean and weed the whole area. This is way worse than usual for this time of year.

Off to work!