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Showing posts with label pets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pets. Show all posts
05 November 2014
30 June 2009
Vacation
Back home from vacation in the North Cascades of Washington. Many thanks to the friend who watered my massive garden with two cranky/kinky hoses. All is well.
Except for the half dead apple. Now it's all dead. Looks like one of the neighbors' tabbies crash-landed on it coming over or falling off the fence. Oh well. Now I can blame the cat instead of whatever I did wrong.
A 3-day weekend is ahead of me, and good. The yard is out of control and a long weekend will give me a chance to wrestle it before the summer garden party season.
Except for the half dead apple. Now it's all dead. Looks like one of the neighbors' tabbies crash-landed on it coming over or falling off the fence. Oh well. Now I can blame the cat instead of whatever I did wrong.
A 3-day weekend is ahead of me, and good. The yard is out of control and a long weekend will give me a chance to wrestle it before the summer garden party season.
14 May 2009
Hee hee, hee hee, hee hee
Plants & Puppies
Or, how to send Wooga into apoplexy. OMG, puppies! And plants.
Scanning garden calendars for this weekend, this particular event jumped out at me. Visit with puppies from Guide Dogs for the Blind while shopping among shrubs, perennials, grasses, etc.
Saturday, May 16 10am - 5pm
5432 SE Hawthorne
Or, how to send Wooga into apoplexy. OMG, puppies! And plants.
Scanning garden calendars for this weekend, this particular event jumped out at me. Visit with puppies from Guide Dogs for the Blind while shopping among shrubs, perennials, grasses, etc.
Saturday, May 16 10am - 5pm
5432 SE Hawthorne
20 April 2009
Keeping the Kitties Out
Doing my best to stave off becoming "that crazy cat lady", I nonetheless very much enjoy how all the neighbor cats play in my yard. Sinclair terrorizes Boo, who likes to sniff dandelions. The tabby sisters leap into the air, climbing trees and fences, chasing dragonflies and birds. Luna stalks at night. And many others. It's a treat to watch them cavort.
Except. Sigh. They poop. And they dig up plants to do it. And it stinks.
They target loose soil, areas that are unplanted and recently turned, or, worse, areas that are newly planted. They can destroy hours of work in a moment. Once a new plant is big enough, then they tend to leave it alone. The trick is protecting something new until it's grown.
Raised beds can be covered with screen mesh or other material that lets in light & water while blocking kitty paws & butt. Direct in the ground, though... that's hard. Cages can be expensive, especially in a yard my size (100x50).
I've found a cheap, effective method of creating a barrier around new plants (see foto above). Bamboo skewers! A large pack -- usually found in the BBQ section of any grocery store for about $2-3 -- lasts me a couple of years.
Space them close together around the plant. Re-use until they break down; then toss 'em in the compost.
Except. Sigh. They poop. And they dig up plants to do it. And it stinks.
They target loose soil, areas that are unplanted and recently turned, or, worse, areas that are newly planted. They can destroy hours of work in a moment. Once a new plant is big enough, then they tend to leave it alone. The trick is protecting something new until it's grown.
Raised beds can be covered with screen mesh or other material that lets in light & water while blocking kitty paws & butt. Direct in the ground, though... that's hard. Cages can be expensive, especially in a yard my size (100x50).
I've found a cheap, effective method of creating a barrier around new plants (see foto above). Bamboo skewers! A large pack -- usually found in the BBQ section of any grocery store for about $2-3 -- lasts me a couple of years.
Space them close together around the plant. Re-use until they break down; then toss 'em in the compost.
22 March 2009
March thus far
This weather blows. Too cold and rainy to do much of anything, just warm and light enough for the grass to grow. Feh.
Speaking of grass, today's urban goating workshop provided me with some basic information. Goats are not the answer to my grass problem. They don't graze the ground. While I could use their manure for compost, they're better suited for people interested in milk, particularly for making cheese and yogurt.
On the way home, I stopped by a Starbucks to pick up a bag of used grounds. Many coffeeshops offer this free service, but I use the nearest Starbucks because they collect the grounds in neat, easily carried bags, that they stack by the door. Convenient.
Today's grounds are destined for my blueberry bushes, any remainders will heat up the youngest of my compost bins.
Speaking of grass, today's urban goating workshop provided me with some basic information. Goats are not the answer to my grass problem. They don't graze the ground. While I could use their manure for compost, they're better suited for people interested in milk, particularly for making cheese and yogurt.
On the way home, I stopped by a Starbucks to pick up a bag of used grounds. Many coffeeshops offer this free service, but I use the nearest Starbucks because they collect the grounds in neat, easily carried bags, that they stack by the door. Convenient.
Today's grounds are destined for my blueberry bushes, any remainders will heat up the youngest of my compost bins.
10 March 2009
Slugs, damn slugs
As fresh, pale green growth first appears so do the slimy, rapacious slugs. Some plants are ruined for the whole year and may even die if the slugs aren't held off. This March so far has been a bit cold for them to venture out, but it will warm soon enough. This is war and I am ready.
First, I protect the most vulnerable plants with a moat of slug-repellent pellets. The pellets don't hold long in Portland's wet weather and must be replaced once a week. I use Slug&Snail Bait by Lilly Miller which purports to be safe around animals. No problems (knock on a half-dead eucalyptus) in 4 years. Clearly, it's Monkey-approved.
Second, I make nightly rounds, headlamp strapped on, and bamboo skewer a steady spear in my right hand. In my left hand, I carry a small bucket with an inch or so of cheap beer (Hamms!). Skewered slugs are dropped into the beer. No mercy.
Finally, in the Fall (slugs slack off in the summer when it gets warmer and drier) I'm especially diligent about the nightly obliteration ritual, and I also put down "walking planks." That's a thin piece of wood soaked in water (or, Fall rain) which slugs congregate on the underside of. Sluggy walking planks get tossed in the firepit. No mercy.
The more slugs I can eliminate in the Fall, the fewer there are to breed in the Spring. But, it's a war never won, a battle always waging.
First, I protect the most vulnerable plants with a moat of slug-repellent pellets. The pellets don't hold long in Portland's wet weather and must be replaced once a week. I use Slug&Snail Bait by Lilly Miller which purports to be safe around animals. No problems (knock on a half-dead eucalyptus) in 4 years. Clearly, it's Monkey-approved.
Second, I make nightly rounds, headlamp strapped on, and bamboo skewer a steady spear in my right hand. In my left hand, I carry a small bucket with an inch or so of cheap beer (Hamms!). Skewered slugs are dropped into the beer. No mercy.
Finally, in the Fall (slugs slack off in the summer when it gets warmer and drier) I'm especially diligent about the nightly obliteration ritual, and I also put down "walking planks." That's a thin piece of wood soaked in water (or, Fall rain) which slugs congregate on the underside of. Sluggy walking planks get tossed in the firepit. No mercy.
The more slugs I can eliminate in the Fall, the fewer there are to breed in the Spring. But, it's a war never won, a battle always waging.
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