Theres an array of options, both old standbys and rare specimens, to bring nature inside. By contrast, largerscale farming often involves irrigation systems, chemical fertilizers and harvesters or at least ladders. There was no getting around it without a lot of work this summer. Obviously one look around your garden will tell you what needs attention. Thanks for the great photo, Darlene. Thats why I like raised beds. The dust bunnies will wait, but spring pruning will . Web site, along with some wonderful teaching guides for anyone who works with children. The auction is ongoing until Monday, March 10th.

Your roses made it through the winter. I recommended planting now, if the ground is thawed. Mmcdannells wrote What are your ideas to keep my kids cats off my plants. Guest writer Ellen Ogden muses on the benefits and challenges of beekeeping. Well, Im not going to complain about having too many things to do outside. In hot, dry climates such as So. You cant help but stop what youre doing to watch their constant darting motion. In the past Ive filled strawberry pots with everything from ageratum to Zagreb coreopsis. Joy37s garden is off to a great start.

In fact, once youve done it, its easier to maintain than a ground level bed. Gardeners will have to use some common sense. Getting spinach to grow is easy. For help, travel throughout your local vicinity for ideas. This information is useful for gardeners because it tells us when to plant and when to be on the lookout. Supposedly it will help them set more tomatoes and ripen earlier. Went out for the morning newspaper and found two had opened and one on the way.

Once it does, everything needs to be done at once. Weve hit the ground running with our new online community and forum search engine. These are tasks you can do once and appreciate all season. Lucky bamboo takes this ease one step further by being grown in water.

Green Earth Media Group, LLC   by Joan Casanova

Spring Garden Fixes Safely Fend Off Furry Friends

Whether Puxatawny Phil sees his shadow or not on Groundhog Day, there’s one thing for certain -- spring will arrive as scheduled on March 21st and so will families of groundhogs, rabbits, squirrels, deer and other troublesome animals, each ready to pounce and plunder your garden, digging burrows where they're not wanted, and otherwise coming into conflict with their human neighbors.

But these creatures don't have to be the enemy of our gardens, and trapping them won't solve their relationship problems with humans. As we all are well aware, the arrival of spring brings the wildlife out of hibernation, and most likely right into our backyards and gardens. As spring is sprung, we suddenly are faced with long gardening to-do lists and a wide variety of pesky critters.

As a rule of thumb, it is far better to prevent wildlife damage than to wait until it occurs and try to combat it. This spring, Messina Wildlife Management can help you protect your beautiful backyards and your gardens with a full line of OMRI certified (100 percent) organic animal repellents. The products are all easily applied in a ready to use spray on bottle. They dry clear, are all pleasant smelling, and work for 30 days before reapplication is needed, no matter the weather. The full product line can even be used on edibles, and none of the products cause harm or physical irritation to the animals they repel. The products work by smell and taste, repelling pesky critters from your backyard, and they’re all pleasant smelling and safe to humans.

Pesky Problems1. Groundhogs: During the spring, summer and early fall, the Marota monax, also known as the Woodchuck, Whistlepig, or Groundhog, is a voracious, wild herbivore. It's the groundhog’s goal to eat as much as possible which puts him on a collision course within your garden.

Groundhogs are tunnel boring pests that can cause damage to your garden in two ways. First, they eat vegetables in the garden, attacking both the root crops and above ground crops. A second problem with tunneling rodents is the mass disruption of root systems, this weakens and can even kill the plants. 2. Rabbits: These furry creatures seem to multiply at the advent of every spring. They come out to feed overnight and in the predawn/dawn hours. Rabbits are accountable for severe damage to woody plants in your home landscape. The damage can be identified by the characteristic appearance of gnawing on older woody growth and the clean-cut, angled clipping of young stems. Distinctive round droppings in the immediate area are a good sign of their presence. Luckily, 90 percent of the rabbit's diet is grass. Those of us that have rabbit damage would swear that 90 percent of the damage they cause is to our gardens and expensive flowers! Rabbit damage can be identified by the clean, angled cut on the food source in question. The browsing of a rabbit will usually be no higher than 2.5 feet above ground.3. Deer: For non-gardener's, there's a captivating fascination with spotting a deer in a field, or perhaps in your yard. For gardener's, it can be quite the opposite. You love the sight of deer, anywhere but not in your garden. Yet, they seem impossible to keep away. Deer are responsible for a considerable amount of damage to plant and vegetable gardens. To determine if your flowers and vegetables are disappearing due to deer damage look closely at the half eaten plants. If you see a jagged, rough edge you can be sure the damage was done by deer as they have no incisor teeth and tear at the food source, leaving tell-tale signs of their presence.4: Squirrels and Chipmunks: These cute, furry, funny creatures can be quite destructive when it comes to your gardens and landscapes. Both ground squirrels and chipmunks are burrowing animals. Their burrow entrances are always open, unlike those of pocket gophers who plug theirs with soil. Ground squirrels and chipmunks can be seen foraging for food during the day. In nature, they feed on green leafy material during the summer and switch to seeds and grains during the fall and winter. One of the biggest complaints about squirrels and chipmunks is their attraction to wild bird feeders. They not only devour the feed they scare the birds away.For most animals scent and taste are the primary senses that attract them to food sources. If you disrupt the animal’s sense of smell and taste you have won the battle against the constant parade of critters in your landscapes. Visit www.messinawildlifemanagement.com for more information on safe, effective pest repellents.

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Green Earth Media Group, LLC is a Public Relations/Marketing Firm specializing in the lawn & garden industry. We provide a targeted approach to creating brand awareness and widespread placement for products, services, technologies and initiatives within the home and garden categories, successfully reaching the end user, the consumer.

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