Category Archives: Pets & Pests In The Garden

Birds Love Seeds, Bunnies Love Greens

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Illustration by Garth Williams (from Margaret Wise Brown’s book, Mister Dog) Giving Seed Saving New Meaning Seeds are such little miracles, bundles of protein and promise. Seeds can nurture living beings and create new plants. Seeds can also invite flocks … Continue reading

Posted in Birds In The Garden, Butterfly Gardens, Care & Feeding, composting, Early Crops, Hardy Herbs, Health & Wellbeing, pests and pesticides, Pets & Pests In The Garden, Plant Partnerships, Planting & Transplanting, Pollination Gardens, Pollinators, Soil, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

When Life Gives You Lemons

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Lovely Lemon Pudding is a great solace Neem For Indoors, Outdoors, Ornamentals & Edibles In February, I always feel relaxed about garden chores. There’s plenty of time, right? It’s kinda rainy, kinda windy, the weather will surely be nicer tomorrow… … Continue reading

Posted in Care & Feeding, pests and pesticides, Pets & Pests In The Garden, Pollinators, Recipes, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Safer Slug Solutions

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This has been a banner year for slugs; yesterday I counted over 40 babies and moms in a single flat of 4-inch pots. I’m more laissez faire than I used to be and won’t kill slugs or bugs unless they’re doing obvious damage, but this little herd was mowing down my veggie starts before they could get started. Sorry, critters. It’s doom time for you. So what’s the best way to off a slug without cruelty? Ecologically speaking, it’s the oldest; predators. Toads, frogs, moles, shrews, and songbirds are all slug eaters, as are ducks and chickens. In an organic garden, predators can safely feed on slugs and bugs, and the balance of nature rarely gets out of hand. Continue reading

Posted in Gardening With Children, Health & Wellbeing, pests and pesticides, Pets & Pests In The Garden, Pollination Gardens, Pollinators, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living, Teaching Gardening | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Food Or Fodder

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Yes, deer fencing that is both effective and long lasting is not cheap, but if we plan to grow and harvest much of our daily food, fence we must. It’s worth taking some time to investigate effective fencing materials and techniques, from double-fencing to peanut butter wire. Double fencing can trick (some) deer into thinking a site is inaccessible by creating a baffling space between two relatively low fences. Usually, this involves two five-foot fences five feet apart, a model both farmers and gardeners report (at least some) success with. A peanut butter fence partners electrified wires with bait, and according to the ICWDM,
“The peanut butter fence is effective for small gardens, nurseries, and orchards (up to 3 to 4 acres) subject to moderate deer pressure. Deer are attracted by the peanut butter and encouraged to make nose-to-fence contact. After being shocked, deer learn to avoid fenced areas.” Continue reading

Posted in pests and pesticides, Pets & Pests In The Garden, Sustainable Gardening | Tagged , | 2 Comments