I'm a little sore and knotted up from kneeling on concrete while working inside the fountain enclosure, but that's alright.
There will be no more dragging 100' of hose in and out every time I need to water.
Posted on 05/01/2024 6:00:41 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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I try to always shut the fuel off and let the carb run dry when I put a small engine away for the winter. It’s possible that I missed doing that last fall.
I didn’t get around to fiddling with it yesterday. Maybe after work today. Got .7” rain yesterday. It’s too muddy to do anything in garden.
I'm a little sore and knotted up from kneeling on concrete while working inside the fountain enclosure, but that's alright.
There will be no more dragging 100' of hose in and out every time I need to water.
Here's what they look like when they are caterpillars:
They are VERY similar in looks to our dreaded Tomato Hornworm caterpillar, which turns into the Hummingbird Moth or the Hawk Moth or the Sphinx Moth depending upon the species :
The Orkin Man says NOT to use them. But, he wants to sell you His chemicals, of course!
Can mothballs be used to repel pests indoors/outdoors?
Mothballs are somewhat effective at repelling rats, mice, squirrels, bats, snakes, or other wildlife in outdoor areas. However, mothballs may contaminate soil and water and their use as animal repellants is not appropriate and can be illegal. Be certain to read the mothball product label to determine whether outdoor use is permitted.
https://www.orkin.com/ask-orkin/mothballs-used-to-repel-pests
The University Extension people say not to use them either:
Thank you for reaching out to Ask Extension with your question about these pesky garden critters!
While many people use mothballs to repel garden pests, you should never use mothballs in this manner. Mothballs are pesticides registered by the EPA and they contain Naphthalene and some still contain para-dichlorobenzene. It is actually illegal to use them outdoors, which will be stated on the label. They will contaminate soil (with the possibility of it getting into your veggie crops and eaten) and are toxic to humans, pets and wildlife. Here is more information:
https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/33195/file/Mothballs-Brochure.pdf
The best way to manage wildlife in your garden is exclusion. Try to fence off your garden area, if possible. When that isn’t possible, you can use an animal repellent that is registered for use for rabbits and squirrels. Here is more information about this:
https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/wildlife-issues/2303-squirrel-damage-trees/
https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/wildlife-issues/2305-ravishing-rabbit-revenge/
https://ask2.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=842967
Diana here: If they’re just around perennial plants (which it sounds like, in your case) and they’re working to keep the critters away, what can you do? I, myself, wouldn’t use them, and I certainly wouldn’t add MORE than what you’ve already used, but that’s just me.
Homemade sprays are cheap and easy to make. Yes, you have to re-apply after the rain, but it’s worth it if damage is becoming severe and you can’t fence in your growing area.
Some of the commercial sprays that I have used are:
Shot Gun
Repels All
Liquid Fence
Recipe for Homemade Liquid Fence:
https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2015/06/homemade-liquid-fence-recipe.html
Best of luck with this situation! :)
Yay! Water! :)
Beau LOVES to dig trenches, so I am ever-so-gently dropping HINTS about a hydrant in my garden area. I KNOW the line runs along there because that’s how water travels to the barn.
Anyhow, I spent an hour or so laying out hoses to the garden a few weeks back. It will have to do for now and we invested in really GOOD hoses last year. Flexzilla? They are that bright SAFETY YELLOW that you cannot MISS while mowing...and they don’t seem to tangle, either! Win/Win!
Just pee around the perimeter and mark your territory.
Tru dat, if we have trouble I send out hubby in the evening.
Human urine was suggested by a guy who writes a local column around our tulips as the came up, and that worked! Sending hubby out at night is another option.
I found a deep container with good drainage. It’s actually an old aluminum pail that’s had holes drilled in it all over. Very leaky. I have put it in the one sunny strip I have on my front walkway, but for now it looks like a fairy garden until the foliage comes. I’m not sure if these will even grow well, but nothing ventured nothing gained. So if anyone from the HOA does venture over here, it shouldn’t be obvious that’s what it is. I’m guessing that lonely little broccolini plant will be frowned upon, but I have flowers and herbs surrounding it.
We got our gorilla cart put together last week, and I’m officially using it today! :)
I told Beau I wanted a Gorilla Cart for my birthday this summer. He said, ‘But we don’t have any Gorillas to cart around!’
You know, they just don’t write COMEDY like THAT, anymore!
*SNORT*
I’m getting it. And billing it to him. :)
I will consult you both before I hit the ‘BUY’ button!
I think you’ll like it - the ‘dump’ function is very handy.
Almost a dad joke there! We went with the regular pneumatic tires from Home Depot. Figured the price difference gave me a few years before buying the no flat ones. The price difference was significant.
That dump function came in very handy when it was filled with water from our last storm! And I bet it will be handier down the road when it’s used for dumping other things.
These hydrangeas were transplanted March of last year ('23). They had languished for years in a completely shady spot & we maybe got 2-3 wimpy flowers a year, plus they were only about 18" tall with a couple of branches. The only thing they grew were roots - I cut a lot of roots when I transplanted them. Now, they get morning sun & afternoon shade and are growing like crazy. They had some blooms last year, but this year, they're loaded.
The sunny side of the front beds (other side of the porch from hydrangeas) are facing northwest - more west than north. The sun here is intense and when transplanting last year, I decided to try lavender. Mom had a 'Super Blue' in a pot that was alive, but languishing on that side - took it out of the pot & put it in the ground & bought 2 more lavenders (not Super Blue - couldn't find it). The large lavender in front is the Super Blue - it took off and bloomed great last year, this year is even better. The two lavenders planted last spring (visible in background) are also starting to bloom well. We want to transplant all of them to the new house in the fall - they'll be on a sunny patio in huge pots (1 per pot) or maybe in my future herb garden.
Mom's beloved hostas ... the gourmet salad bar for the deer. The front of the house is mostly shady & the hostas are very happy early in the year. Once the deer start munching (they haven't yet), it gets 'ugly' .... mom covers them at night with sheets, which is a pain to put on & take off. She wants to transplant them to the new place that has a HERD of deer and I see them frequently. I have agreed to the huge hostas in the giant pots on each side of the steps (very bottom plant in pic is one of the 'giants') .... not taking anything else. I took her to a local nursery to check out Coral Bells ... similar to hostas & in many gorgeous colors, high tannin so deer don't munch ... her response was "I don't like Coral Bells". Bummer!
I've noticed that postimage pics tend to look out of focus - here's the gallery link if you want to see them in sharper detail - just 'double click' the pics:
Gallery Link
Wow - the pics posted REALLY out of focus, more so than in ‘preview’. I’m posting the way I always have ... noticed some changes in ‘postimage’ so I may have to make some changes myself ... either in the way I post or change who I use.
Thanks for sharing. Yeah, we gotta get ‘Deer’ Old Mom to like Coral Bells! (Heuchera) Show here some of the new cultivars - they come in a rainbow of colors and are all about the foliage versus the blooms, now!
https://www.epicgardening.com/heuchera-varieties/
I was still managing the Garden Center when all of the new cultivars hit the market. People were nuts for them! :)
I bought a bunch of Flexzilla hose last summer. It’s the best garden hose I’ve ever found.
But even being bright yellow you can still find them with the lawn mower. Good thing Amazon sells some really nice hose splicers. lol
I’m taking a break from the garden and all other forms of choring this weekend. Heading to Knoxville, IA tomorrow morning for two nights of sprint car racing. Hopefully the rain will go around the track this time instead of dumping on it while all around is clear blue sky like it did when we were up there last summer. lol
There are some real beauties at that link - thanks!
I have noticed a couple that would be gorgeous with the colors in the house bricks. Mom wants boxwoods for sure along the front porch- maybe I can sneak in some Coral Bells. I love the colors so much, I could see having a large raised bed of nothing but my favorites!
Caught this little BRAT in action today on my Crab Apple Tree. He's made some good progress with his holes, but the tree bloomed beautifully this Spring, so I'm not freaking out - too much.
Your friend and mine (not!) Mr. Yellow Bellied Sap Sucker:
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