Maintaining Backyard Wildlife Habitat

In 2004 my husband and I decided to grow a wildlife habitat that would naturally provide the songbirds, squirrel, deer and other wildlife with forage. We knew that initially the garden would not do as intended but within a few growing season we would no longer have to worry; the plants would adapt to the garden and the wildlife would have plenty of food.

Here are photographs of wildlife in the backyard habitat 

Raccoon by serviceberry trees 

Black butterfly and mimosa flower

Butterfly garden

Cat relaxing after visiting the catnip garden

Raccoon hiding in the grass garden

Well that was the plan and it worked well the first few years then came the droughts and the extreme heat during the summer months and we lost many fruit shrubs due to not enough water and or pests. We simply could not hydrate the plants with the water restrictions in our area.

So the following year we collected water from the spring rains in the barrels that I bought at Lowes.com. This was a good idea, however come end of July we had exhausted all of the water intended to sustain the habitat plants during the drought season.

Know that when we noticed the rain barrel water levels were getting low we then started collecting household water from bath, shower and water used to rinse the vegetables.  Yes taking buckets of water from house to outdoor rain barrel wasn't fun, the buckets were heavy and sometimes the water spilled out of the bucket when lifting to pour into the barrel. But by recycling the water we were able to have more water for the forage plants,  but it was not enough water to maintain the wildlife habitat throughout the summer.

Since we had lost many plants due to our extremely hot summers we decided to grow only native plants and other fruit bearing plants. Also instead of growing the forage plants away from the house we grew them closer. By doing this we were able to hydrate them with soaking hoses in the early morning on our assigned  watering days. We also invested in water retention mulch by Scotts. The cost of this mulch is higher than others but it is well worth it because it does help you to save water.

Initially our plan was to grow forage for the wildlife in our area, but with the changes to climates that idea became costly and one we could not afford to maintain.  Know that the wildlife habitat has changed to native plants that are maintained with the special water retaining mulch, soaker hose system that provide the plants at the soil level a slow and steady drip of water. We set these soaker hoses on a timer and water every other day for two hours in the early morning.

We continue to save the spring rain water but instead of waiting for the water level in these barrels to empty out before recycling, we started a water recycling system that we do constantly throughout the growing season.

By implementing the ongoing water recycling we found that the water barrel watering system does not deplete and has allowed us to continue to water our wildlife habitat during the hottest month of the summer.

Do you recycle water for your outdoor gardens?

Vinegar Weed Killer Tips and Warnings

Recently I published a post about using the vinegar and ultra dawn dish soap formula to kill the weeds and grasses growing in between my garden path stepping stones. I shared this post on Facebook and many of my gardening friends asked questions.

I will be answering these questions here.

Keep your garden weed free with vinegar. Photo of my lily and Iris garden

Why use vinegar and dawn ultra dish soap and not roundup?

White vinegar is an acid and the dawn ultra dish soap is what holds the acid on your weed's leaves and stem. The acid kills the weed but does not kill the earthworms. Roundup is a chemical that kills the weeds to the root and every good garden insect that crosses its path. In addition, the roundup is not safe to use around pets.

How often do you have to apply the vinegar weed killer?

The white vinegar weed kill formula should be used on a hot sunny day. Spray the weed by saturating it with vinegar.  You will see the weed dying back in a few hours, the leaves and stems will turn brown. 

 Now provided your summers are dry then you will not need to reapply, you may have to spot check the area for new weed-grown once a week and treat any new growth with the vinegar.  Now if it rains or the area that was treated with the vinegar formula gets wet from sprinklers, then the formula will be weakened and the weeds will grow back quickly.

Can I use it in my flowerbeds or around trees?

I would not recommend using any weed kill in your flower garden areas for fear that it might come in contact with a plant that you do not want to kill. Know that I have used this weed killer on weeds growing close to a mature Oak tree and had no problems but I would not use it in the same area as a young tree.

This vinegar and ultra dawn soap weed kill do work if used as directed and are not weakened from rain or another water source.

Do I have to buy a brand name for the distilled white vinegar? 

 No brand name is needed in fact I would recommend that you buy Walmart.com Great Value which is the store brand and is always less than other top brands. Buy whatever is on sale as long as it is distilled white vinegar.

Does the vinegar smell last long?

When the vinegar is mixed with the dawn ultra dish soap the smell is weakened and is not as pungent as straight vinegar. I noted that the smell was gone within a few hours.

Those are some of the questions that I was asked, if you have any further questions then please leave a comment and I will reply.

Here are some other products that I have used for controlling weeds in flower beds' learn more here

Weeds Growing in-between Stepping Stones

Removing the weeds that grow in-between the stepping stones has been my  garden project this week.  Know that I started this task by using a hand tool to dig out the roots but soon realized that to complete the 40 foot paths that I would need to work several days.  A hand pull on a project this large would be really hard on the body.

Here are a few photographs of my many garden paths.  All needed to be weeded last week.

Stepping stone with pea gravel and edge stone

Dry set flagstone walkway with pea gravel

Pea gravel path with stepping stones

Cement capstone garden path 

First I thought I would use the lawn trimmer as a quick fix to my problem.  It looks good until it rained two days ago and now the weeds have grown back and the stepping stone path looks awful.

My husband suggested that I use roundup to kill the weeds and I refused to do the chemical compound being harmful to the wildlife.  I realized that I needed something strong to take care of my obnoxious weed problem so I inquired about a formula at my garden club and they gave me a mixture that consisted of plain dawn dish soap, Epsom salt and water.

I followed the instructions given; mix well spray on the weed liberally on a sunny day and it should start to die off within a few hours.  Well I waited two days and the weeds did not die off.   

I went back to digging the weeds out by the roots, and had accomplished several feet when my husband tells me to mix 2 gallons of distilled white vinegar with 2 tablespoons of Dawn ultra (original Dawn the one that is blue color) mix the formula and spray on the weeds on a sunny day.

Husband  said the vinegar is an acid and it is what kills the weeds, the soap is what keeps the vinegar on the the weeds.  I followed his instruction and mixed 8 gallons of vinegar with the dawn ultra dish soap, sprayed on the weeds in-between the stepping stones and within 2 hours they were turning brown.  

Gardening Today with Husband

Well the rain has finally stopped and today it is sunny so have been gardening with my husband. This morning we had our coffee on the patio and discussed the garden jobs that we would like to accomplish for the day.

The first thing on our list was to use the grass trimmer around the paver edging and the patios. Husband bought me a ryobi 18V lithium  battery operated trimmer which I like BUT the battery does not give me enough power so I have the option to also plug it into the electric outlet and this is what I do for the tough jobs.  So I worked on trimming and edging around the gardens and husband trimmed the over growth branches on the trees and also trimmed the flowering shrubs after they bloomed.

Many dead branches were removed.  The Earthwise chainsaw on the pole came in handy when husband had to go on the roof to cut back the mimosa branches that were growing too close to the house..

I enjoyed working in the yard today with my husband because we got a lot of work accomplished.  At dusk after we put away all of the yard and garden tools we sat on the patio and drank a cold beer.  Looking out at the yard, know that it is starting to look manicured.

Here are a few photographs of my yard and gardens:

Tomorrow is another day and I intend to tackle the backside of my checklist.  Trim and edge the path in the meadow.  For that job I will have to dress for snakes, ticks, spiders and other garden pests.

Self Propelled All-Wheel Drive Lawn Mower Cuts Lawn FAST

My husband has been working a lot, long hours and on his day off so I thought I would help him out by cutting the lawn with his NEW Husquvarna self propelled all-wheel drive lawn mower.

I called him at work to see if this was okay with him because his particular about his things. When I asked him he laughed and said ”are you sure you want to use my self propelled lawn mower?” I replied “yes” and my husband laughed. Then he told me to hold the bar down lift up the front tires and pull the cord.

So I got dressed and put on my sneakers because I figured cutting the lawn would be a workout. Little did I know that I would be holding on and running behind the lawn mower.

The product summary stated that this self propelled lawn mower was outstanding, dependable with smooth operation, which sounds good.  What I did not read and my husband omitted from telling me that there was a speed control, Yes I learned the hard way that cutting the lawn was comfortable only when you adjust the speed.


Let me tell you, it was set at 4 mph and I was running around the lawn and holding onto the lawn mower. I was certain if I left go that the mower would go off on it's own and crash into a tree or the side of the house. Cutting the lawn was certainly a workout and I am glad I wore my running sneakers.  The lawn was cut in a matter of minutes, this lawn mower is FAST.

If you are interested in learning more about the lawn mower then know that it is the Husqvarna Self-Propelled All-Wheel Drive 3-in-1 and husband bought it at Lowes.com and then picked it up at the store.  Husband said his lawn mower has a Honda engine.  So I think that this is a quality mower, that will last many years and has the capabilities to provide you with a great workout and cut your grass FAST.

Armadillos Dug Up Rose Garden

I learned about armadillos when a mother decided to bring her babies into my yard and dig up my lawn and rose gardens. They were foraging in grubs and other soil insects in my yard and gardens. 

Know that after the armadillos had a field day with my rose bushes my mind was made up and they were not welcomed into my yard.  

I didn't know how to get rid of them so I contacted animal control and they directed me to the wildlife conversations office. There they had me take a class on trapping armadillos and said they would assist me in relocating the armadillos after they were trapped.

What I learned is that they have bad eyesight and that I would need to herd them into the trap with boards. I was fearful of doing this because it was a mother and naturally she would want to protect her babies. 

To remedy my problem with the armadillo's husband said he would put up a fence so I could wave goodbye to the armadillos.  

If you have this lawn and garden pest in your yard, trapping is one way to get rid of them, but a fence is an easy way to keep them out. Know that my brother did trap armadillos in his yard, and he said that three of his buddies helped him.

If you want to get rid of the armadillo by trapping then buy a live animal trap to catch and release.  I found some reasonably priced traps at Walmart.com and Lowes.com or you can contact your city's animal control and they may have an animal trap that you can borrow.  

Here is a video that will show you how to set up a trap for an armadillo, using the boards.  Know that my brother and his buddies did herd the pest into the trapping area. He told me that the armadillo tends to go where it wants.  

Other pest control posts by Sgolis

Pest Control for Borers

Pest Control for Slugs

Pest Control for Stray Cats

Pest Control for Grass Hoppers

 Keep Deer out of Garden: Natural Deer Repellent

Getting Rid of Groundhogs: Permanent solutions but NOT harmful

Snake Removal, Get Rid of Snakes Safely

Protecting Spring Bulbs from White Tailed Deer

Pest Control: Raccoons

Pest Control: Growing Plants that Repel Mosquitoes

Pest Control: Mosquitoes

- See more at: http://yardandgardensecrets.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html#sthash.Z45t4ZEI.dpuf

Word of Mouth Garden Job

 I have been working on my gardens for the last 7 days.  Know that my yard and garden represents my skills and if I am to get jobs in the neighborhood then my yard and gardens better be near perfect.     

My yard and gardens are not formal because every plant that I grow is to benefit wildlife.  The only way to describe my yard and garden is to say that it is a sensory garden with fragrant flowers, wind chimes and water features.  Plus there is an original (came with the house) American Indian sculpture and cement sculptures that I have made scattered throughout the garden.

Upper-level garden; patio and sandstone walkway

My gardens take up a half acre of land and they are a sight to behold especially when in full bloom. There are three levels of gardens plus paths and garden nooks then a meadow that has a path that goes around it where you can view the pretty flowers, stop to watch the birds at the feeders, sit on the garden bench and read from your Kindle or sleep on the hammock. The meadow is an area that I created for neighborhood children to learn more about flowers and nature.  

Lower level garden by grass garden

This week the bee balm, Asiatic and daylilies are in bloom as well as the roses, black-eyed Susan's red clover, catmint, and coneflowers.  So if you walk down the alley you can look down into my yard and see my pretty gardens. 

Stella de Oro lilies and Black Eyed Susan's in bloom

To make a long story short, people from the neighborhood were walking down my alley to get to the nature trails and a man stopped to look at my yard and gardens.  He came into my yard and took the path that winds around my pond,

Garden path to brick patio and grass garden

I went out to talk to him and we had a nice chat, he told me his daughter just bought a home in Branson, MO and she needed help with planning her landscape and asked if I did this sort of thing.

I gave him my business card and that is how word of mouth got me my next digital garden job.

 

Gardening at Dawn

Now that the rainy season has finally come to an end the days have gotten hot and muggy which makes gardening uncomfortable so I have been getting up at dawn to work in my yard and gardens.

Cleaning up garden paths and doing hand pulling of weeds in flower gardens

I find I can get a lot of things accomplished as long as I do not violate the noise ordnance I am in good shape.  So today I started working on my checklist. The first thing was to remove the maple tree seedlings.  This is my biggest project; pulling out the maple tree seedlings when there must be thousands growing in my lawn and gardens.

Maple tree seed.  these fall from the trees in the spring and the seed grows FAST

This year I set 30 seedlings aside because I thought I would transplant them into pots and grow them in a sunny location. Then when they get to be approximately 16 to 18 inches I would like to donate them to families in my community that are in need.  

Many residents lost their homes due to a tornado that touched down in our city.  Families have moved into their new homes but all of the trees are gone.  I bet they would be thrilled to get a maple tree for their yard.

So I am up at dawn gardening but also transplanting the maple seedlings into pots.

Know that I am hydrating the seedlings in a shallow pan of tepid water before transplanting them into 1/2 gallon milk containers that have been recycled to be planters. 

The maple trees will be grown in organic soil and will be fertilized with my homemade compost.  Then water until it drains out of the bottom.  I intend to grow the maple trees in a sunny location and will continue to watch them for hydration.

So gardening at dawn was good, I worked on removing the seedlings and also set up the soaker hose and timer that I bought at Walmart.com.  Now I do not have to worry about watering my gardens in the morning.

Learn more about planting maple trees by reading my post here

Another Day of Rain: Yard Cleanup will Take a Week

The weather forecast called for sun today and I cleared my schedule so I could go outdoors and start pulling the weeds from my garden beds.  The entire yard is saturated with rain water and there are standing puddles and mud everywhere.  When I look at my yard I do get overwhelmed because clean up will take at least a week.

Rain Rain go away, come again some other day

Rain has made the gross grow FAST.  Need to mow the lawn

Need at least a week to manicure the lawn and gardens.  Too much rain made weeds grow FAST

The only thing I accomplished today was pulling out my rotted vegetables from the organic raised garden bed.  Too much rain, flash flooding and when the soil is saturated with water the veggies will not grow.   To do this garden task really  made me sick because we grow our own food.

I started to clean up the garden mess when the dark clouds rolled in, then heard the lightening in the distance and knew it would be another day of rain.  Hoping that tomorrow will bring sunshine and that I can work in the yard and gardens for several hours.

Before I go, I wanted to share with you all a new organic weed killer that I picked up to kill the weeds between my stepping stones.  The product name is Avenger weed killer and it is available in concentrate or ready to use.

I prefer the ready to use 1 gallon size.  This formula in non toxic and is safe to use around your flowers.   Know that if you plan on killing weeds do not use this product on a cloudy day or when the ground is wet.  For best results use this weed killer on a hot and sunny day.  The heat from the sun will activate the formula and the weeds will turn brown in a couple of hours.

Avenger weed killer does work and it is great for controlling weed growth between sidewalk, garden path and where hand-pull is not easy.  You can find and buy this non toxic product at most home and garden centers including Lowes.com  Homedepot.com  and Walmart.com

Spring Rain Makes Flowers and Weeds Grow FAST

April showers are welcoming to any gardener but when it rains too much then it creates a horrible mess. During the month of May we had horrific rain storms every single day which left standing water and a whole lot of mud in my yard.

The back lily garden has grown in too thick, It must be thinned out. 

My home is on a hill so my neighbors new top soil traveled down his yard and is now backs up against my river rock wall and some top soil backed up onto my patio.

Yes I need to clean up a muddy mess plus cut the grass, trim all the new brush that has grown in and weed the gardens again. I like to have all this yard work completed before June but all the rain sure did make a mess out of my yard.

Today was first day of part sun but not enough to dry out the grass or to evaporate the standing water in my yard so hopefully by the weekend I can address my yard and garden issues and get it cleaned up and looking presentable and not like a jungle.  

When the weeds are all hand pulled in the gardens I will treat them with weed preventer Preen

Transplanting Liriope Lilyturf Groundcover

The April shower continued through May and now my low growing groundcover has become invasive and needs to be divided and transplanted.

I grow three groundcovers in my yard; Baltic ivy, Vinca flowering vine and Liriope  lilyturf which is a low growing grass like plant that flowers in the fall.  

Know that in late winter I did trim back the liriope but the spring rain made it grow in twice the size that it was before and now husband says we need to thin it out and shape it before it takes over the entire front yard.  I agreed and added this garden project to my list of things to do.

The best time to tackle this garden project would be on a cloudy day. Today was cloudy so I started to thin out the liriope with my spade. I selected large clumps and dug them up. Then dividing the clumps and transplanting to grow around my mature oak tree. (the photo you see above was taken in the fall when the flowers were blooming) 

I was able to remove six feet of the plants before calling it a day. The mosquitos were very bad, and my repellent did not seem to keep them away. Even the citronella fire torch did not keep the biting bugs away so I called it a day and went inside.

Know that my groundcover garden does not look thinned out but I think that when I remove several more plant clumps that it will look better.  I plan to get up early tomorrow morning and work on this project before it rains in the afternoon.

View this youtube.com video to learn more about dividing and transplanting liriope.

If you are interested in growing liriope in your garden then I would recommend that you ask your friends if they are transplanting and if they can spare to give you some plants.  Otherwise you can buy groundcover plants at any of the following online stores.

eBay.com

greenwoodnusrsery.com

gardenerdirect.com

ckassygroundcovers.com

Earthwise Chainsaw with Pole Product Review

A few months ago I was shopping at HSN.com and came across a lightweight chainsaw that came with a pole.  I watched the product video that featured a women using the  chainsaw and thought I can cut back dead tree limbs and overgrown shrubs if she can.  So I ordered this chainsaw and let me tell you I love it.

I no longer have to ask my husband trim this branch or cut down the overgrown shrub that is blocking the sunlight.  I get out my 8  inch Earthwise 6.5 amp 2 in 1 chainsaw and get the job done.

Today there was a serviceberry tree growing next to my lily garden and it was blocking the light so I cut down this 11 foot tree in a matter of minutes.  Know that I was a gardener that was  pleased with herself, for doing the project herself and not asking my husband to cut the tree back.

I think this earthwise chainsaw is a must have for gardener, landscaper or homeowner.  It is so easy to use, you plug it into a outdoor two prong extension cord and then press a button.  No more smelly gas fumes, is good for your health and environment.

Here is a video that will show you how easy this chainsaw is to put together and use.   Know that my husband will grab my Earthwise chainsaw first before he grabs his.  He says it is so easy to use, plus light as a feather.

Here is the video from HSN.com that sold me on this small chainsaw.  It is perfect for the women who likes to  take care of yard and garden.

Garden Ideas for Small Yard

A friend of mine contacted me for assistance in creating a garden in her small yard. She lives in a townhouse and her backyard is very small and not private. If she put up a privacy fence then all she would need would be two panels on the sides and I thought she might feel closed in so I suggested that she invest in a lovely grass garden instead and create a private garden in her small yard.

The ornamental grass garden would add privacy and movement to her landscape plus the flower plumes are pretty. A grass garden is pretty summer through winter and is easy to care for too.

Along with the grass garden, I suggested planting some low growing daylilies and garden decorations; birdbath, outdoor bench, wind chimes and window box planted with colorful coleus plants.

Here is the digital set that I created for my friend. This set was used to show my friend how a few ornamental grasses can transform her yard and create a comfortable resting area where she could read a book or sip a cup of herbal tea.

When it comes to creating an ornamental grass garden I always choose tall grasses and then taper downward, ending with low growing border grass.

I recommend buying ornamental grasses at greenwoodnursery.com. This online nursery has a good selection of grass. My favorites are;

1. Karley Rose Grass; Features dark green foliage pretty rose color flower plume
2. white or pink pampas grass for showy flower plumes
3. Add contrast to the ornamental grass garden with Red Rooster Carex grass.
4. Accent the grass garden with low growing Elijah blue fescue grass with blue foliage or Lirope/ lilyturf with its dark green leaves and purple flowers in the fall. Both are low growing in a mound and will make the grass garden look eye appealing.

Getting Vegetable Garden Ready for Planting

A few weeks back I planted my cold season vegetables in the greenhouse and all are now ready to be transplanted. Normally I plant my lettuce in March but this past winter has been extreme and has set me back in planting my cold season vegetables.

Now it is April and weather is warmer with no snow in forecast so I got busy with getting the vegetable garden ready for planting the seedlings.

Things to do:

1. Removed the cardboard that was on top of the garden.  
2. Rake away the natural mulch, leaves from under the cardboard
3. Take away the newspaper that set on top of the soil
4. These layers helped to nourish the soil and encouraged worms to aerate the soil.
5. Pull out any weeds or grasses that are growing
6. Till the top six inches of the vegetable garden bed.

Now that this chore is completed I can sow my transplant my spinach, peas, carrots lettuce and cabbage into the outdoor vegetable garden.

Attribution: pixabay.com

Removing Leaves from Spring Flower Gardens

Removing leaves from my yard and gardens is a two season project; in the fall and then again in April. Not all of my oak trees lose their leaves and this year the leaves did not fall until the new leaf buds started to appear in late March. Come the first week of April I have leave in my flower gardens.

In the fall the city will remove our leaves when we put them at the curb. They will then turn the leaves into mulch. However in the spring leaves are not needed for mulch and today I found out that there is a fee for spring leaf pickup so we are going to rake and put them in lawn bags for trash pickup.

Know that I reside in the woods so keeping all of the leaves for compost recycling is not wise. I will keep only small amount of leaves for my compost but the other leaves must be removed as they harbor borer insects that will eat the tubers of the irises, dried leaves are also are good nesting ground for ticks, fleas and snakes.

Along with the removal of leaves from the flower gardens I am also removing the mulch because it will enable the new spring flowers to emerge from their sleep without difficulty. I use a rubber rake or my hands to gently remove the leaves and the mulch from the flower gardens without disturbing the plants underneath.

Gardening tips by Susan:

1. Late spring or early summer is the best time to apply the mulch as it will help to retain moisture.
2. If you used leaf mulch then add all leaves except oak to your compost pile. Oak leaves attract mites and other bad for the garden insects that are harmful to your plants.
3. If you have oak leaves I would recommend that your burn them or bag them for trash disposal.  

Gardens Small to Large Photo Gallery

Today I had a conversation about my garden and the person I was speaking to mentioned their garden.  They said how they had planned it and created an eye-appealing layout so the color would flow nicely. Then they mentioned the vegetables, herbs, and flowers that they had planted last year and that this year they hoped to extend their garden so that it was better than last year.

I asked if they had any photographs and with a smile, she retrieved a few from her phone to my surprise the garden was not located in a large or small yard but instead on 6 feet wide by 9-foot space on her patio.   

The photos showed that it was a nice container garden and that she had utilized her space well. It confirmed that anyone could have a garden as long as they have an area that has sunlight.

I complimented her on her garden and then she asked me about my garden, “you always talk about your garden, do you really have one?” I replied yes but it was not a container garden, I told her my gardens are 157 x 57 feet and that it has taken me years to complete.  My garden is what you would call large, but know that I have worked as an estate gardener and the property that I oversaw was four times the size of my own garden. 

Large garden with gravel path

 People love to garden and it does not matter if it is a small container garden or a large oversize garden, the importance should be that gardening is good and all will benefit from planting a garden.

Notes: I grow plants in the ground and in a variety of containers. I think containers make the garden look more interesting. I shop for containers at yard sales and at homedepot.com as this store has an interesting mix of containers for indoor and outdoor use. I also shop online at hayneedle.com plowandhearth.com and gardeners.com.

Here are some garden photographs. I hope that they inspire you to plant a garden.

 Wildflower and ornamental grass garden

Garden pavestone path 

 Flower garden along the fence

 Container garden

Daisies grew in the meadow

Butterfly garden

Hosta Garden

Lily garden path

Sensory Garden

Dog Kennel Garden

Backyard garden

Flowering Shrubs by the garden path