Preventing Groundhog Damage

 

Many people picture a cute furry groundhog with a hat and a holiday all to himself but backyard gardeners know the damage that Groundhog or “wood chuck” can do.

If your not familiar with these garden hazards, they are a tunnel-digging rodent common throughout eastern North America. Also known as woodchucks, they can wreak havoc on your backyard garden in no time. I have seen a groundhog destroy a row of beans in less than an hour and ruin a patch of melons overnight. And their homes leave a mess in yard pastures and even under homes.

Groundhogs can produce tunnels forty-five feet in length that are buried up to five feet underground. And if they decide to tunnel under your home or an outbuilding they can damage the foundation.

It is best to deal with groundhogs before they decide to vacation in your backyard paradise. Prevention is the key and here are a few tips to keep your backyard groundhog free.

Protect your gardens

When you plant a vegetable garden it’s like rolling out a red carpet to an all you can eat vegetable bar. The groundhogs will be waiting in line unless you plan ahead. Raised beds, container gardens, patio gardens or a garden fence will discourage these hungry rodents.

Some people use cages to catch groundhogs or dogs to scare them away. I have also used shiny objects, wind chimes and a radio to scare groundhogs away from the backyard garden area.

Maintain your property

Groundhogs are attracted to the edges of woodlands and next to open areas. Old pastures, empty lots and overgrown areas will quickly become their home. They also love to burrow under rocks, tree stumps or by shrubs or bushes. They are making a home in a protected area

Know your property.

Is the edge of your woods overgrown with brush? Do you have firewood or other objects piled in the yard? If so, you are creating a perfect home for a groundhog. Clear away any brush, wood and debris. Keep the grass cut short around your home and outbuildings. Or remove the grass in this area and put down mulch.

When you find a groundhog hole, fill it and make sure the area is cleared. You may want to walk a dog around the area to discourage it from staying. I have also poured cat litter down the holes, and then filled them in. 

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Solar-up Your Backyard Oasis Garden

 

With advances in solar cells and the widespread use of LED lights, options for solar accents in the garden abound. Whether you are looking for lanterns, landscape lighting, fountains, or a patio umbrella that doubles as a mini-power station, solutions are both easy to find and economical.

The solar garden lantern, though a staple of outdoor lighting, remains a top pick among solar products. The consumer now has a wide array of choices for styles and materials, not to mention pricing. Another common option is the use of a single solar panel for multiple lights, which allows for placement in areas once considered too shady for a lantern.

Low voltage string lights are a natural evolution of solar power in the backyard. The solar panel can be placed in an area of maximum sun exposure, and the entire string will sparkle evenly long after sunset. Styles run from simple white holiday lights to large and colorful Chinese lanterns.

Adjustable solar landscape lighting allows for the illumination of trees, walls and garden artifacts. Without the need for a power source, placement of solar landscape lighting is easy and flexible, even at the edges of a property or driveway.

Solar fountains bring the welcome sound of running water into the yard, minus the worries about wasting electricity. Placing a fountain near a bedroom window creates a peaceful background for sleep, and there is no need to turn the power off. Many times these garden decorations also double as bird baths.

Many are re-discovering garden decorations brought to life by the use of solar power. For example, kissing fairies once hidden after sunset now have their snowy faces illumined by the light of a glowing orb. Likewise, a trio of gnomes hold lit lanterns high to see the trail ahead. The whole yard can indeed be a wonder at night.

For the backyard connoisseur who must have it all, a solar patio umbrella provides both an attractive and practical solution. During the day solar cells gather energy as the umbrella provides shade; during the night LED lights on the underside of the umbrella provide light for meals and socializing. The system can be turned off at any time and the solar cells will continue to gather energy.

As a final step, check the sales rank of products to help find the best solar landscape lights on the market. Adding motion, sound and lighting to the yard without the guilt of wasting energy provides a special satisfaction. In addition to bringing enjoyment, it can also be surprisingly easy and economical.

Plants, plant containers and hanging baskets

 

Indoors or out, plants in pots and containers have certain uses and needs. With proper care both the plant and potting container will last for years and add beauty throughout the entire year.

Where you place your plant in a room or on patios and balconies create an impact upon the atmosphere and ambience of the area. Your first concern with potted plants is the amount of light or lack of light the plant requires. The plant care tag will help you with this or garden shops and online plant care websites.

Once you know your plant needs it time to place the plant for the best visual effect.

Tall, potted plants will create a quiet reading corner or add privacy to an office space. They can be used as a divider in a room or to hide a problem area in a room.

Hanging plants can provide a screen for a bathroom or bedroom window. They will also create a room barrier and fill bare corner with color. Add an herbal hanging container to you kitchen and harvest fresh herbs for cooking all winter.

An orchid may add tropical appeal to a patio or other living space. To give a more rounded and lush look near the orchid add two or three small potted plants around the orchid planter.

Avoid placing plants in heavy traffic areas or small spaces. They will add a cluttered feel to these spaces and interfere with traffic flow.

Make sure that plants placed on tables or in other conversation spots are not too large. This will interfere with conversation and give the area an uneasy unbalanced feel.

Potted containers.

Pots and containers are often overlooked when selecting a plant and adding to the atmosphere of a room. Many feel any old pot will do. But selecting pots for color and décor adds to the room and to the beauty of the plant.

Regardless of the decorative appeal, a container with good drainage is a must for an interior plant. Indoor plants have more of a problem for plant disease if the soil cannot drain properly

Place a saucer underneath the container to catch the run off water before it leaves water stains on your tables or reaches your floor. Saucers with pebbles place them will keep excess water away for the plants roots and add humidity around the plants. This humidity is beneficial to the plants and people.

Polystyrene peanuts will keep the container light in weight, increase your drainage, and
decrease the soil needed to fill the pot. This is particularly important in hanging baskets and larger potting containers that can get heavy. Outdoor balcony gardens will also benefit from lighter planters.

Baskets and decorator pots are available at home improvement stores, gardening centers, auction houses and garage sales. You can also paint or redecorate or planter and pots to match your décor. And if you are in a creative mood you can make a hypertyfu one of a kind planter.

Plants and planters add to the atmosphere and health of your home. And with creativity in the choice of plants and planters you can add change to your rooms on a weekly or monthly basis, indoors or out.

Beautifying the Premises: Organic Container Gardening

Organic container gardening is a nice twist on the typical container gardening that has been done for many years. Organic container gardening uses all natural materials in order to maintain the plants that are placed in the pots. This helps to ensure that the people and animals that are around the plants will not be harmed by any synthetic chemicals that are sometimes used in the pots for fertilizer and pesticides. Using all organic materials helps to protect pets, small children and the environment at the same time.

Organic Container Gardening Options

Often organic container gardening is used when an individual lives in an apartment or condominium where they do not have the option to create a full sized garden. It is also often used to help decorate screened in porches, front porches and walkways so that there are beautiful flowers and other plants around at all times. It is wise to fill the organic container gardens with a mix of different plants, since there are some plants that tend to attract good insects which kill the bad ones and help to protect the more fragile plants in the pot. In addition, when there is only one kind of plant, it acts as a beacon for the insects that like to feed on that plant, causing more harm and the need for some sort of pesticide. Use a good quality backpack sprayer for spraying pesticides.

There are fertilizers that can be used in organic container gardening, but these need to be chosen carefully so that they are indeed organic. The organic fertilizers only use organic materials and not the dangerous synthetic chemicals that are used in the traditional fertilizing agents. The fertilizers that are used in organic container gardening are usually slow release so that they do not burn the roots of the plants or cause any other issues. The soil in the container should also be tested to see what types of nutrients are lacking from the soil so that just the right combination can be created for the types of plants being grown.

Organic container gardening also sometimes has herbs and vegetables that are grown so that they are on hand for the individuals to use in the kitchen at all times. They are also sometimes used to start plants that will later be planted in a traditional outside garden when the weather gets to be more suitable for gardening those plants. In other cases there are plants that are more rare or difficult to grow and need protection from the weather and sun that is experienced outside for optimum growth in organic container gardens.