abandoned romanesco: aphid delight

After abandoning my original backyard plot, my romanesco plants
were left to fend for themselves. Without much sun, their thick stems ran along the ground before turning up into the air, craning to escape the shade. While feeling slightly guilty having neglected the romanesco as I focused on the raised bed, I was also curious to see how they would fare with minimal attention. I suppose it was an attempt to validate my conclusion that the original plot was not meant to be. Alas, the romanesco managed to hang in there, benefiting from an occasional watering on my behalf. I finally noticed the spiral romanesco head beginning to emerge from the center of the plant. But upon closer inspection, I also noticed a huge colony of aphids growing under the leaves. The infestation was so rampant and horrifying that I quickly hacked down all of the infested plants and put them in a garbage bag for disposal. With organic gardening methods, I'm not sure what I could have done to protect the plants, but I suppose that closer attention would have helped. While it does sadden me to have lost the romanesco crop, I hope that the swift removal avoided further spreading of the aphid infestation.